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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: chest · stick · rush · date · nail · race · current · lash

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. race — humankind
  9. current — happening now
  10. chest — a box
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rush — hurry
  16. chest — of your body
  17. race — a contest
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. chest — of your body
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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