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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bear · last · straw · lie · lash · chip · sharp · hand

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. sharp — clever
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. hand — help
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hand — in cards
  18. last — to go on
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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