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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
468
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: object · tube · can · straw · scale · chest · lash · fine

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. chest — a box
  3. object — to protest
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. chest — of your body
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. can — a tin
  15. tube — the underground
  16. object — a thing
  17. can — a tin
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. chest — of your body
  23. scale — size or range
  24. object — an aim

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