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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: sharp · stem · race · lash · arm · bound · racket · chest

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bound — obliged
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. race — humankind
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bound — tied together
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bound — certain
  16. race — a contest
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chest — a box
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. racket — a loud noise

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