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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: dip · race · spell · rest · lash · ground · stock · bat

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ground — a position
  4. race — a contest
  5. spell — magic
  6. race — humankind
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ground — the earth
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. stock — shares
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. race — the arms race
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stock — goods
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. spell — letters
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rest — a break

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