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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: race · kid · stem · swing · rule · bore · lash · safe

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. stem — to come from
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. kid — child
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. race — a contest
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rule — government
  15. swing — music
  16. race — humankind
  17. bore — to tire
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bore — to drill
  21. swing — in golf
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rule — a law

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