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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.

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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: lash · spring · mouse · lean · hand · content · straw · cue

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cue — a hint
  4. lean — thin
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cue — for pool
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cue — a signal
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — a coil
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. content — the amount
  23. spring — the season
  24. mouse — for a computer

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