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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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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: stick · staff · bear · swing · plane · race · game · lash

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. race — the arms race
  7. staff — employees
  8. game — a match
  9. swing — music
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. race — humankind
  15. plane — a tool
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. staff — a stick
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. staff — employees
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. game — wild animals

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