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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: wax · rash · bark · track · race · key · hand · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. track — a song
  5. race — humankind
  6. hand — help
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. race — the arms race
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. race — a contest
  13. rash — a series
  14. hand — in cards
  15. key — for a lock
  16. track — a path
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bank — for money
  22. key — in music
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bark — to shout

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