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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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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: pound · lash · jam · kid · rule · wave · straw · staff

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. kid — to tease
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. kid — child
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. staff — employees
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. staff — employees
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rule — a law
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. staff — a stick
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. rule — government
  24. pound — a weight

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