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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: cap · swing · wake · kid · mark · can · race · lash

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cap — a lid
  3. can — a tin
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. race — humankind
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cap — a hat
  9. swing — to play on
  10. race — the arms race
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mark — a grade
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — child
  15. cap — of ice
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mark — a trace
  19. swing — in golf
  20. can — a tin
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. swing — music

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