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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: bank · spell · lash · rush · plane · swing · rest · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. swing — music
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rest — a break
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. spell — a short time
  11. plane — a tool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. race — humankind
  16. swing — in golf
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bank — for money
  21. spell — letters
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rest — what's left
  24. spell — magic

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