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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: saw · race · lash · bay · fork · bat · swing · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. race — humankind
  6. fork — in a road
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. race — a contest
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bat — the animal
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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