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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: ground · stand · lash · last · race · snap · spell · pit

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stand — to bear
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pit — in a race
  6. spell — letters
  7. pit — a hole
  8. ground — a position
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. ground — the earth
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. snap — to click
  15. spell — a short time
  16. last — finally
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. last — final
  22. race — humankind
  23. last — to go on
  24. race — a contest

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