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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · racket · can · straw · race · mine · swing · saw

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mine — for digging
  9. race — humankind
  10. swing — to play on
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bound — obliged
  13. race — a contest
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. swing — in golf
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. swing — music

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