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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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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: lash · charge · band · game · rush · wound · mouse · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. game — a match
  6. charge — a price
  7. game — wild animals
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. race — a contest
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. charge — in control
  16. wound — an injury
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. race — the arms race
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. charge — electricity

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