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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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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: mate · jam · lash · hand · wave · fine · kick · straw

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. hand — in cards
  3. kick — in football
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. hand — help
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fine — all right
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mate — to breed
  24. wave — with your hand

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