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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: deal · rest · straw · pit · kick · race

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. race — the arms race
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. race — a contest
  5. pit — in a race
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rest — a break
  15. kick — in football
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. race — humankind

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