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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: race · fine · board · mark · lash · straw · kid · saw

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. saw — the tool
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. kid — child
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fine — all right
  9. mark — a trace
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. race — humankind
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. race — the arms race
  19. kid — to tease
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fine — high quality
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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