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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: race · mouse · track · net · season · fork · temple · lash

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. race — the arms race
  3. track — a song
  4. race — humankind
  5. track — to keep track
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. net — in sport
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. track — a path
  15. season — of the year
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. race — a contest
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. season — in sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. net — for catching
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. net — after costs

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