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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: mug · wound · tube · straw · content · lash · arm · mouse

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mug — a cup
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. content — the amount
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. tube — a container
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. content — happy

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