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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. firm — a company
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. firm — decided
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. tear — from crying
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. firm — steady
  24. dip — to sink

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