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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: mark · key · race · roll · firm · trunk · rush · wound

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. race — the arms race
  6. key — for a lock
  7. roll — a list
  8. firm — decided
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. race — a contest
  13. mark — a grade
  14. key — in music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wound — an injury
  22. race — humankind
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rush — hurry

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