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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.

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: bear · lash · pop · straw · toast · track · cabinet · hand

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hand — in cards
  9. track — a song
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bear — the animal
  14. track — a path
  15. pop — music
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pop — to visit
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pop — soda
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. toast — bread
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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