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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 116 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: race · stand · fan · firm · bear · press · lash · mouse

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. firm — decided
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. press — to push
  6. firm — a company
  7. press — newspapers
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. press — a publisher
  20. race — a contest
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. firm — steady

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