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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · net · mate · lash · fan · kick · rush · race

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. track — a path
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. race — the arms race
  6. track — a song
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mate — a friend
  10. net — in sport
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. kick — in football
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rush — hurry
  20. net — after costs
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. net — for catching
  24. fan — to cool the air

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