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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. spring — the season
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. race — a contest
  6. drill — the tool
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. capital — money
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. spring — of water
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. kick — in football
  17. drill — a practice
  18. roll — a list
  19. capital — a city
  20. drill — army training
  21. spring — a coil
  22. roll — a cake
  23. stand — to bear
  24. roll — on a roll

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