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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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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: lash · race · clip · bore · cap · present · cabinet · pitcher

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. clip — a video
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. race — humankind
  7. cap — a hat
  8. present — there
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bore — to drill
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. race — a contest
  24. pitcher — a jug

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