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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · rash · race · cap · date · mouse · hand · lash

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. race — humankind
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. date — the fruit
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rash — a series
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cap — of ice
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rash — hasty
  23. hand — help
  24. fan — to cool the air

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