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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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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 · cue · pit · lash · stick · rest · plane · tear

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pit — a hole
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rest — a break
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. race — humankind
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. tear — from crying
  17. race — a contest
  18. tear — to rip
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rest — what's left

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