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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · bear · lash · stem · can · last · straw · court

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. can — to be able to
  3. court — for sport
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bass — the fish
  6. last — finally
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. last — final
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. court — of a king
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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