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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: cell · file · race · deal · mug · straw

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. file — a line of people
  3. race — a contest
  4. file — a tool
  5. cell — a phone
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cell — in biology
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mug — to rob
  14. race — humankind
  15. mug — a face
  16. file — a document
  17. mug — a cup
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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