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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: mark · hide · straw · object · lash · mine · bank · race

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. mark — a trace
  3. object — an aim
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bank — for money
  14. race — humankind
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mine — for digging
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. object — a thing

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