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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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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 · wind · pit · toast · trunk · pound · race · snap

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. snap — to click
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. toast — bread
  10. race — the arms race
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. race — a contest
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pit — a hole
  24. race — humankind

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