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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bank — for money
  5. race — a contest
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mark — a grade
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bank — for money
  13. kick — in football
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cell — a phone
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pass — to succeed

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