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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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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: stick · rest · ground · wound · shower · nail · lash · firm

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. firm — decided
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. shower — rain
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ground — a position
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rest — a break
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rest — what's left
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. ground — the earth
  18. firm — steady
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. firm — a company
  21. wound — an injury
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rest — what's left

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