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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: object · straw · lash · racket · chip · hide · bat · stand

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. object — to protest
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. chip — for betting
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bat — the animal

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