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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 120 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
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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: mark · wound · race · lash · track · mine · rash · cue

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mine — for digging
  3. track — a path
  4. race — a contest
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wound — an injury
  7. race — humankind
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mark — a trace
  11. track — a song
  12. cue — a signal
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mark — a grade
  20. race — the arms race
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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