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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.

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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: race · roll · straw · stick · bay · press

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a list
  3. race — a contest
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. race — the arms race
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. roll — a cake
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. race — humankind
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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