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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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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: current · rest · chip · race · ruler · season · march · lash

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. season — of the year
  6. race — a contest
  7. march — the month
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. current — of water
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. march — the month
  17. current — electric
  18. rest — a break
  19. season — in sport
  20. current — happening now
  21. chip — to eat
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. march — music
  24. lash — an eyelash

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