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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: lash · race · bulb · arm · rash · wave · club · chair

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. race — the arms race
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. chair — a leader
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. race — humankind
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. club — for golf
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. club — a group
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bulb — for light
  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