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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 · bowl · wind · key · wake · last · lash · stick

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. last — final
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. race — a contest
  5. last — finally
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. key — in music
  9. race — humankind
  10. key — the most important part
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wake — a trail
  15. last — to go on
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. key — for a lock
  24. race — the arms race

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