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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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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: snap · suit · straw · lash · plane · bank · mug · row

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mug — a cup
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. row — a line
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bank — for money
  16. mug — a face
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. row — to paddle
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mug — to rob
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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