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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. race — a contest
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. can — a tin
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. swing — in golf
  8. can — a tin
  9. swing — to play on
  10. row — to paddle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. race — the arms race
  17. snap — to click
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. row — a line
  20. race — humankind
  21. swing — music
  22. can — to be able to
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. straw — a straw man

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