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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. race — a contest
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. tube — a container
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tube — the underground
  11. row — a line
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. race — the arms race
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. race — humankind
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. row — to paddle
  22. lean — thin
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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