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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · arm · shower · race · suit · row · capital · rash

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. suit — to fit
  3. shower — rain
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. race — a contest
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. row — a line
  12. shower — to wash
  13. season — in sport
  14. race — humankind
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rash — a series
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rash — hasty

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