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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: saw · trunk · race · staff · lie · wound · roll · band

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. staff — employees
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. band — a ring
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. staff — employees
  8. roll — a list
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lie — to recline
  16. staff — a stick
  17. saw — the tool
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wound — an injury

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