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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. present — a gift
  5. track — to keep track
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. race — the arms race
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. track — a path
  15. firm — decided
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. firm — a company
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. present — there
  22. firm — steady
  23. present — the time now
  24. track — a song

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