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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: prune · row · rash · lean · bank · race · key · ground

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. lean — thin
  3. row — to paddle
  4. ground — crushed
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ground — a position
  7. key — the most important part
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bank — for money
  10. key — in music
  11. row — a line
  12. rash — hasty
  13. prune — to trim
  14. key — for a lock
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. race — humankind
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rash — a series
  24. race — a contest

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