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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · straw · row · season · dip · mate · race · mug

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mug — to rob
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mug — a face
  9. mate — a partner
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mate — a friend
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. season — of the year
  17. row — to paddle
  18. dip — to sink
  19. season — in sport
  20. race — the arms race
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. rash — a series

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