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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: foot · race · hide · lash · pass · stock · snap · tube

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pass — a permit
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. snap — to click
  9. race — humankind
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. tube — a container
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. hide — to keep secret

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