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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: cell · file · race · deal · mug · straw · season · trunk

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. file — a line of people
  3. deal — to handle
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. race — a contest
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. file — a tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. race — humankind
  11. file — a document
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mug — a face
  15. cell — a phone
  16. season — of the year
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mug — a cup
  21. season — in sport
  22. race — the arms race
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. trunk — of a tree

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