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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: rash · coach · branch · mine · race · lash · ruler · toast

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. race — a contest
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rash — hasty
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. toast — bread
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mine — for digging
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rash — a series
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. branch — a division
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mine — an explosive

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