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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · race · cell · lash · charge · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. 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. last — finally
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. last — to go on
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. race — the arms race
  7. cell — a phone
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cell — in biology
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. last — final
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. race — a contest
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. 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