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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: ball · stand · lash · straw · nail · lie · bat · cell

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bat — the animal
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. ball — a dance
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stand — to bear
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cell — in biology
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cell — a phone

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