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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: wound · pop · hide · safe · cap · race · lash · sharp

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pop — music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pop — soda
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. race — a contest
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pop — to visit
  16. race — humankind
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cap — of ice
  20. race — the arms race
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wound — an injury
  24. hide — to keep secret

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