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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: cap · lash · arm · rush · last · safe · date · pitcher

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. last — to go on
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. last — final
  11. date — the fruit
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cap — of ice
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. last — finally
  24. cap — a hat

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