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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: cue · chest · prune · wake · lash · pitcher · bear · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wake — a trail
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. chest — a box
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cue — a hint
  23. race — a contest
  24. prune — to trim

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