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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: hide · race · firm · bay · swing · lash

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. race — humankind
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. swing — music
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. firm — a company
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. firm — decided
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bay — to keep at bay

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