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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. game — a match
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pass — a permit
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. race — humankind
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. squash — to crush
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. lean — to bend
  21. game — wild animals
  22. race — the arms race
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. race — a contest

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