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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: wound · bear · toast · race · lash · rule

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rule — a law
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rule — government
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. toast — bread
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. toast — the most admired

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