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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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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: arm · calf · date · spell · wave · lash · sharp · race

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. sharp — clever
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. race — the arms race
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. race — a contest
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. race — humankind
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. arm — part of the body

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