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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: straw · lash · stock · row · toast · racket · race · tear

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — goods
  5. row — to paddle
  6. tear — from crying
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. race — humankind
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. race — the arms race
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. row — a line
  19. race — a contest
  20. tear — to rip
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stock — shares
  24. toast — bread

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