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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 116 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: straw · stock · swing · race · deal · tear · mug · safe

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. swing — music
  5. mug — to rob
  6. race — a contest
  7. deal — to handle
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. tear — from crying
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mug — a face
  15. race — humankind
  16. mug — a cup
  17. tear — from crying
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stock — goods
  21. swing — in golf
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. race — the arms race
  24. tear — to rip

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