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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: charge · bear · lash · nail · can · race · bass · march

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. can — a tin
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. march — the month
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bass — low music
  7. can — a tin
  8. charge — electricity
  9. march — music
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. race — a contest
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. charge — a price
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bear — the animal
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. charge — in control
  20. march — the month
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — to be able to
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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