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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · wake · straw · cue · wound · scale · object · firm

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. object — an aim
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. firm — decided
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wound — an injury
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. object — to protest
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. scale — in music
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. firm — steady
  17. object — a thing
  18. firm — a company
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com