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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
468
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: current · ball · chest · lash · track · pass · plane · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. current — happening now
  4. chest — of your body
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. race — the arms race
  7. chest — of your body
  8. track — a song
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chest — a box
  11. current — of water
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. track — a path
  14. plane — a tool
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. track — to keep track
  17. ball — a great time
  18. current — electric
  19. ball — a dance
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. race — a contest
  24. lash — an eyelash

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