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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: lash · race · straw · wind · chip · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. chip — to eat
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. race — humankind
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. race — a contest
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. chip — for betting
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wind — moving air

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