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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: rest · wave · lash · lean · race · last · key · straw

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. race — the arms race
  3. lean — thin
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. rest — a break
  7. key — in music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lean — to bend
  10. key — the most important part
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. last — finally
  20. race — humankind
  21. last — final
  22. race — a contest
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. last — to go on

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