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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: lash · foot · lean · fan · stick · mine · pass · race

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. race — a contest
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lean — thin
  13. foot — a measure
  14. race — humankind
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lean — to bend
  24. foot — the bottom

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