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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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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: rash · race · wave · prune · stand · staff · object · lash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. race — the arms race
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. object — to protest
  11. staff — employees
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. object — a thing
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rash — hasty
  19. staff — employees
  20. stand — to bear
  21. object — an aim
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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