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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: lash · shower · ruler · rash · content · race · suit · craft

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. race — the arms race
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. suit — in cards
  8. shower — rain
  9. craft — boats
  10. suit — to fit
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. suit — clothes
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. race — a contest
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. content — the amount
  20. race — humankind
  21. rash — a series
  22. shower — to wash
  23. content — happy
  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