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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: row · tear · mate · race · kick · suit

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. tear — to rip
  3. suit — in cards
  4. row — to paddle
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mate — a friend
  7. race — the arms race
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. tear — from crying
  10. suit — clothes
  11. race — a contest
  12. tear — from crying
  13. suit — to fit
  14. kick — in football
  15. row — a line
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. race — humankind
  18. mate — a partner

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