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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 116 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: stick · straw · lash · squash · firm · key · mouse · mate

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. squash — to crush
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. firm — decided
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. firm — a company
  9. key — in music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. squash — the sport
  18. firm — steady
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mate — a friend
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mouse — the animal

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