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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: stick · race · trunk · lash · mouse · date · root · game

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. root — the cause
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. race — humankind
  8. date — the fruit
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. root — of a word
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. race — the arms race
  17. root — of a plant
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lash — to lash out

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