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

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bound — certain
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bound — tied together
  5. prune — to trim
  6. track — to keep track
  7. race — a contest
  8. bound — obliged
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. land — ground
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. track — a path
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. race — humankind
  23. prune — to trim
  24. trunk — of a car

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