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

Word bank: cap · lash · foot · stand · saw · wind · trunk · race

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. race — humankind
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. race — a contest
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stand — to bear
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cap — a lid

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