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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: stick · rash · dip · ruler · race · fine · wound · trunk

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. race — humankind
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wound — an injury
  15. race — a contest
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fine — all right
  18. wound — an injury
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rash — a series
  23. race — the arms race
  24. fine — high quality

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