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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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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: pit · lash · nail · pop · lean · stick · race · kid

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. race — the arms race
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pit — in a race
  6. race — humankind
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. kid — child
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pop — soda
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lean — thin
  21. pop — music
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. lean — to bend
  24. race — a contest

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