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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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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: sharp · track · bay · lash · coach · cell · race · tube

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. track — to keep track
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. track — a path
  13. race — the arms race
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tube — a container
  18. track — a song
  19. cell — in biology
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cell — a phone
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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