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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 120 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: cue · patient · wake · race · arm · stand · lash · saw

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cue — for pool
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. race — a contest
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. saw — the tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cue — a hint
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stand — to bear
  20. race — humankind
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. race — the arms race
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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