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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: stem · perch · toast · lash · race · rash · bulb · coach

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rash — a series
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. perch — the fish
  16. race — a contest
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — bread
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rash — on the skin

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