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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: object · lash · race · arm · stick · firm · wake · bear

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. firm — a company
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. object — an aim
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. object — a thing
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. race — humankind
  15. object — to protest
  16. bear — the animal
  17. firm — steady
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. firm — decided
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. race — a contest

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