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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: race · trunk · saw · bay · wake · toast · lash · hand

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. race — a contest
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. hand — in cards
  7. toast — bread
  8. race — humankind
  9. saw — the tool
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. race — the arms race
  16. hand — help
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. saw — the tool
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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