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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. present — the time now
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. object — a thing
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. row — to paddle
  8. object — to protest
  9. present — there
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. race — a contest
  12. date — the fruit
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. object — an aim
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. row — a line
  23. bear — the animal
  24. present — a gift

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