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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: nail · stem · track · rash · lash · row · race · bowl

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. track — a path
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rash — hasty
  21. race — a contest
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. race — the arms race
  24. stem — to come from

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