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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rash — hasty
  6. plane — a tool
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. race — a contest
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rash — a series
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. squash — the vegetable

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