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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: craft · track · lean · trunk · toast · race · tear · band

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. race — humankind
  3. tear — to rip
  4. race — the arms race
  5. band — a music group
  6. race — a contest
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lean — thin
  12. tear — from crying
  13. track — a path
  14. toast — bread
  15. track — a song
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. tear — from crying
  21. band — a ring
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. lean — to bend

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