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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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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: can · mark · cell · saw · craft · race · row · straw

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mark — a grade
  3. row — a line
  4. can — a tin
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. craft — a skill
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mark — a trace
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. can — to be able to
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cell — in biology
  14. craft — boats
  15. race — humankind
  16. can — a tin
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. race — a contest
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. race — the arms race
  23. cell — a phone
  24. straw — dry grass

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