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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: pop · straw · kick · lash · ruler · bowl · stand · tube

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pop — music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pop — to visit
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. tube — a container
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stand — to bear
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pop — soda
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stand — on your feet

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