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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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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: toast · straw · trunk · rush · cabinet · net · snap · race

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. 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. rush — to hurry
  2. race — the arms race
  3. net — for catching
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. toast — bread
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. net — after costs
  14. snap — to click
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. race — a contest
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. net — in sport
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. 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