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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: arm · cap · race · lash · stick · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cap — of ice
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. race — the arms race
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cap — a lid

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