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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chip — to eat
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fork — in a road
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. race — the arms race
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chip — for betting
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. object — a thing
  24. lash — an eyelash

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