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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 116 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. race — a contest
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. race — humankind
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stand — to bear
  19. swing — music
  20. tube — a container
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. race — the arms race
  24. swing — to play on

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