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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: firm · season · track · roll · chair · lash · wound · race

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. season — of the year
  3. firm — a company
  4. track — a song
  5. roll — a list
  6. race — the arms race
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. race — humankind
  9. track — to keep track
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. roll — a cake
  12. race — a contest
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wound — an injury
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. firm — steady
  19. track — a path
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. firm — decided
  22. chair — a leader
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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