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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 · rush · tube · lash · safe · ground · drill · net

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. rush — hurry
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. race — a contest
  8. net — after costs
  9. ground — the earth
  10. drill — a practice
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ground — crushed
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ground — a position
  19. tube — a container
  20. drill — army training
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rush — to hurry

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