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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. net — after costs
  3. rush — hurry
  4. face — part of the head
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. net — in sport
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. net — for catching
  11. race — humankind
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bass — low music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. race — a contest
  18. bass — the fish
  19. face — to confront
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bark — to shout
  23. firm — a company
  24. bark — of a tree

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