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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 116 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: cell · saw · race · rule · racket · lash · snap · wave

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rule — government
  11. snap — to click
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. race — the arms race
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. race — a contest
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rule — a law
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. race — humankind

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