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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: ruler · rash · race · content · wake · bank

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. content — happy
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bank — of a river
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. bank — for money
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind

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