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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: race · cap · rush · board · rest · trunk · lie · band

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. race — a contest
  4. rush — hurry
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. race — humankind
  8. band — a ring
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cap — a hat
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. race — the arms race
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rest — what's left
  24. band — a music group

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