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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.

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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: firm · lash · pound · hide · rule · swing · lean · straw

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. firm — decided
  4. swing — to play on
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — government
  9. pound — a weight
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. swing — in golf
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. firm — steady
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rule — a law
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. lean — thin
  23. swing — music
  24. firm — a company

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