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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rash — a series
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — the arms race
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — a contest
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rash — hasty
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. lash — to lash out

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