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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: race · foot · fall · chair · rest · pass · lash · roll

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rest — what's left
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fall — the season
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. roll — a list
  10. rest — a break
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pass — a permit
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fall — to drop
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. fall — to drop
  21. roll — a cake
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. foot — a measure

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