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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. race — humankind
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bank — for money
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bank — for money
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stand — to bear
  19. race — a contest
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bark — to shout
  23. race — the arms race
  24. lash — an eyelash

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