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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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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: race · staff · straw · prune · wake · lash · calf · mug

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. race — a contest
  6. mug — a cup
  7. staff — employees
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wake — a trail
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mug — to rob
  16. prune — to trim
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mug — a face
  22. prune — to trim
  23. staff — employees
  24. straw — dry grass

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