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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: race · stem · snap · pound · safe · lash · mouse · sharp

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. race — humankind
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. race — a contest
  14. pound — a weight
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. race — the arms race
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. snap — to click
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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