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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: race · stick · net · lash · dip · trunk · deal · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. race — a contest
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. race — the arms race
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. race — humankind
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. net — for catching
  24. lash — to lash out

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