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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 120 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 · can · scale · straw · wound · hide · kick · pass

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pass — a permit
  4. race — a contest
  5. kick — in football
  6. wound — an injury
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. can — a tin
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. race — humankind
  13. can — a tin
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. can — to be able to
  16. scale — in music
  17. race — the arms race
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. scale — size or range
  24. hide — to keep secret

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