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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: band · foot · race · stick · rush · lean · ruler · wake

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wake — a trail
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. race — a contest
  7. lean — to bend
  8. band — a ring
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. lean — thin
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. band — a music group
  20. race — the arms race
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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