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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 120 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 · race · mine · racket · wound · bank · game · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. game — a match
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bank — for money
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wound — an injury
  8. race — the arms race
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. key — in music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bank — for money
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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