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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lash · fall · lean · band · mate · straw · fine · rush

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. band — a music group
  3. mate — to breed
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mate — a partner
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fine — all right
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. band — a ring
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fall — the season
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lean — thin
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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