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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: spring · race · leaves · kick · mouse · arm · lash · stock

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. kick — in football
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stock — shares
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. spring — the season
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. spring — of water
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. spring — a coil
  20. race — the arms race
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. leaves — of a tree

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