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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 120 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. firm — a company
  3. race — the arms race
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wind — moving air
  6. firm — decided
  7. net — after costs
  8. race — a contest
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. race — humankind
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wind — moving air
  18. firm — steady
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. fork — in a road

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