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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 · lash · pass · season · object · wind · bore · bound

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. race — a contest
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bore — to tire
  6. season — in sport
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. object — a thing
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bore — to drill
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. object — an aim
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pass — a permit
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wind — moving air
  18. object — to protest
  19. season — of the year
  20. bound — certain
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. race — humankind

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