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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 · race · file · straw · lash · stick · wind · can

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. can — to be able to
  3. file — a document
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. can — a tin
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mark — a grade
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wind — moving air
  15. file — a tool
  16. wind — moving air
  17. race — a contest
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. can — a tin
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lash — to lash out

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