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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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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 · stick · lean · straw · stem · ruler · wind · rush

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stem — to come from
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. wind — moving air
  8. race — the arms race
  9. lean — thin
  10. race — humankind
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wind — moving air
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wind — to turn a key

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