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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: bat · rule · race · stand · bowl · lash · march · firm

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. firm — a company
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stand — to bear
  6. march — the month
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rule — government
  9. firm — steady
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. march — music
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. race — a contest
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. firm — decided
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. march — the month
  22. race — humankind
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stand — on your feet

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