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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.

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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 · firm · clip · mug · drill · lean · nail · row

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mug — to rob
  6. firm — a company
  7. clip — to cut
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. clip — for paper
  11. row — a line
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. drill — a practice
  16. firm — steady
  17. drill — army training
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. clip — a video
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mug — a cup
  22. row — to paddle
  23. firm — decided
  24. mug — a face

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