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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 120 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: bowl · lash · sharp · stem · squash · race · fan · foot

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. squash — the sport
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. squash — to crush
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stem — to come from
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. race — a contest
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. sharp — clever
  24. foot — a measure

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