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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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · pass · stick · last · rash · lash · chair · arm

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rash — hasty
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. last — to go on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. last — finally
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rash — a series
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. game — wild animals
  21. last — final
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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