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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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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: race · rest · pitcher · land · pop · lash · foot · craft

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rest — what's left
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rest — a break
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. land — to come down
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pop — to visit
  15. race — a contest
  16. pop — music
  17. land — ground
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pop — soda
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. land — a country
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — boats

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