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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: roll · last · race · present · deal · cabinet · straw · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. object — a thing
  2. roll — a list
  3. race — the arms race
  4. object — to protest
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. last — finally
  7. race — humankind
  8. last — final
  9. deal — to handle
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. present — the time now
  17. object — an aim
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. race — a contest
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. last — to go on
  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