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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: track · rash · band · ground · date · lash · plane · trunk

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. band — a ring
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. ground — crushed
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. ground — the earth
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. track — to keep track
  9. date — the fruit
  10. rash — a series
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rash — hasty
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. ground — a position
  21. track — a song
  22. band — a music group
  23. track — a path
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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