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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: club · rest · rush · bay · race · lash · bark · spell

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. spell — a short time
  7. club — a group
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. race — humankind
  10. spell — letters
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rest — what's left
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. club — for dancing
  21. race — a contest
  22. club — for golf
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. spell — magic

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