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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 116 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: lash · pit · kick · tube · firm · safe · race · chair

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. tube — a container
  3. firm — decided
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. race — a contest
  6. pit — in a race
  7. kick — in football
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. tube — the underground
  17. race — humankind
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. firm — a company
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. firm — steady

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