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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: march · rest · object · racket · lash · fan · trunk · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. object — a thing
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. march — music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — a path
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. object — an aim
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rest — a break
  20. march — the month
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. march — the month
  24. object — to protest

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