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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: lash · lean · can · race · rock · craft · pop · fork

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. race — humankind
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. rock — a stone
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. can — a tin
  10. craft — boats
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rock — music
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. race — a contest
  20. can — a tin
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. race — the arms race
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fork — in a road

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