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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: bat · rush · race · lash · straw · deal · fork · object

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. race — a contest
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bat — the animal
  11. race — humankind
  12. object — an aim
  13. fork — in a road
  14. object — a thing
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. object — to protest
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. deal — to handle
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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