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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. file — a tool
  3. swing — in golf
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. race — a contest
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. file — a document
  8. race — the arms race
  9. swing — to play on
  10. race — humankind
  11. stem — to come from
  12. file — a line of people
  13. swing — music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wake — a trail

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