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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: mark · tube · press · hand · race · kid · lie · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. race — the arms race
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lie — to recline
  8. kid — to tease
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mark — a trace
  11. tube — a container
  12. hand — in cards
  13. race — humankind
  14. kid — child
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mark — a grade
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. race — a contest
  20. press — to push
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. hand — help

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