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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
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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: row · fan · bore · stand · staff · race · mate · arm

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mate — a partner
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stand — to bear
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. staff — employees
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. race — humankind
  10. staff — employees
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mate — to breed
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. staff — a stick
  21. row — to paddle
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mate — a friend

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