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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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Word bank
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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: fall · cue · stand · hand · bark · race · rash · wave

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. race — a contest
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fall — the season
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. race — humankind
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. fall — to drop

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