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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mug — to rob
  6. row — to paddle
  7. last — final
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. row — a line
  10. race — a contest
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. last — finally
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mug — a cup
  20. race — humankind
  21. mug — a face
  22. last — to go on
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pitch — completely

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