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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. race — the arms race
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. sharp — clever
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. court — of law
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pass — a permit
  17. race — a contest
  18. court — for sport
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. court — of a king
  23. pop — soda
  24. race — humankind

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