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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: wind · coach · race · track · chair · lash · rule · dip

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. race — a contest
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rule — a law
  7. race — the arms race
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. race — humankind
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. track — a path
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rule — government
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wind — moving air
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. coach — a trainer

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