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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: lie · race · coach · straw · rush · march · deal · mark

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rush — hurry
  3. march — the month
  4. race — a contest
  5. mark — a grade
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. lie — to recline
  10. march — music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mark — a trace
  19. race — humankind
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. march — the month
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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