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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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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: bear · mouse · rash · key · arm · lash · cabinet · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. race — the arms race
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rash — a series
  6. key — in music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rash — hasty
  17. race — a contest
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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