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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: tear · wake · lash · suit · race · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. race — humankind
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. suit — clothes
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. race — a contest
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. suit — in cards
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. suit — to fit
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. tear — from crying

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