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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. hand — help
  5. spell — letters
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. race — humankind
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. stem — to come from
  15. net — after costs
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. net — for catching
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. race — a contest
  22. vault — a safe
  23. net — in sport
  24. ruler — for measuring

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