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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: race · lean · sharp · key · cold · lash · ruler · staff

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. staff — a stick
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. staff — employees
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cold — not warm
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. sharp — clever
  15. cold — an illness
  16. lean — thin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. race — humankind
  20. staff — employees
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. ruler — for measuring

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