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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · stand · lash · ground · hide · date · hand · firm

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. hand — help
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. firm — decided
  7. date — the fruit
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. hand — in cards
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ground — the earth
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ground — crushed
  23. stand — to bear
  24. straw — dry grass

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