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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 120 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 · rush · bound · branch · wax · lash · race · tube

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. race — the arms race
  6. branch — a division
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. race — a contest
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bound — certain
  13. race — humankind
  14. tube — a container
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. row — to paddle
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bound — obliged
  20. tube — the underground
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wax — to grow

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