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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 124 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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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: straw · bank · firm · nail · kick · mark · lash · land

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. firm — a company
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. land — ground
  7. firm — steady
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bank — for money
  10. mark — a grade
  11. kick — in football
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. land — to come down
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bank — for money
  22. firm — decided
  23. land — a country
  24. nail — for a hammer

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