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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 120 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. race — humankind
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bat — the animal
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. race — a contest
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rock — music
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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