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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: lash · drill · race · chair · current · tear

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. drill — a practice
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. tear — from crying
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. tear — from crying
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. chair — a leader
  14. drill — army training
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. drill — the tool
  17. current — of water
  18. tear — to rip

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