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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: foot · drill · last · date · race · lash · mug · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. track — a path
  4. last — to go on
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. drill — army training
  11. race — the arms race
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mug — a cup
  14. track — to keep track
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mug — to rob
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. last — finally
  22. mug — a face
  23. last — final
  24. lash — an eyelash

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