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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mark — a trace
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. field — farmland
  8. rash — a series
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. race — humankind
  13. capital — money
  14. field — for sport
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rash — hasty
  17. race — a contest
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. capital — a city
  21. field — a subject
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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