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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 · cold · race · lie · kid · can · kick · toast

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. race — the arms race
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lie — to recline
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. kick — in football
  13. can — to be able to
  14. kid — child
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. kid — to tease
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. toast — bread
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. kick — with a leg

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