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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · date · mark · rash · lash · race · chair · object

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. object — a thing
  5. can — a tin
  6. race — humankind
  7. can — a tin
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. object — to protest
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mark — a grade
  12. object — an aim
  13. can — to be able to
  14. chair — a leader
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mark — a trace
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. date — the fruit
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. race — a contest
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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