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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. race — humankind
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mate — to breed
  6. track — a song
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. mate — a friend
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mate — a partner
  14. race — the arms race
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. band — a ring
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. track — a path
  22. race — a contest
  23. band — a music group
  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