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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: kid · rush · race · lash · pass · vault · pitcher · stem

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. kid — child
  3. race — a contest
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kid — to tease
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. vault — a safe
  9. stem — to come from
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. race — humankind
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pass — a permit
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rush — hurry
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. race — the arms race

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