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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 116 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: lash · race · bowl · cold · face · rest · prune · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. race — the arms race
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rest — a break
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cold — an illness
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. race — a contest
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. face — part of the head
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cold — not warm
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. face — to confront
  21. race — humankind
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. rest — what's left

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