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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 116 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 · racket · ruler · race · pass · nail · track · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. race — a contest
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pass — a permit
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. track — a path
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. track — a song
  15. lean — to bend
  16. track — to keep track
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. race — the arms race
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. race — humankind
  24. ruler — for measuring

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