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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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Word bank
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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: firm · cell · race · lash · mouse · chair

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. firm — a company
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. firm — steady
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. firm — decided
  10. race — humankind
  11. cell — in biology
  12. race — the arms race
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cell — a phone
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. race — a contest
  18. lash — to lash out

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