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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
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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: mark · fan · file · last · race · calf · board · lash

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. race — humankind
  3. last — to go on
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mark — a trace
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. board — to get on
  12. race — a contest
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. file — a document
  16. mark — a grade
  17. board — a committee
  18. race — the arms race
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. file — a line of people
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. file — a tool

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