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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. race — the arms race
  3. ground — a position
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. race — a contest
  6. last — final
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. ground — the earth
  9. last — finally
  10. suit — in cards
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. race — humankind
  13. ground — crushed
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. suit — clothes
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. craft — a skill
  21. last — to go on
  22. wound — an injury
  23. craft — boats
  24. wound — an injury

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