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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: race · last · firm · lash · arm · land · bay · game

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. game — wild animals
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. race — the arms race
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. last — final
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. game — a match
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. last — finally
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. last — to go on
  23. land — ground
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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