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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. track — to keep track
  10. race — humankind
  11. mine — for digging
  12. suit — in cards
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. race — the arms race
  15. roll — a cake
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. race — a contest
  19. kid — child
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. roll — a list

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