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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.

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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. track — a song
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. race — the arms race
  9. track — a path
  10. race — a contest
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. object — to protest
  13. mate — a partner
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. object — an aim
  16. race — humankind
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. object — a thing
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bore — to drill
  24. track — to keep track

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