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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: rash · pound · ruler · object · bowl · arm · clip · race

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. clip — a video
  4. race — the arms race
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rash — hasty
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. race — humankind
  14. object — to protest
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. object — an aim
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. race — a contest
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rash — a series
  22. clip — for paper
  23. object — a thing
  24. arm — part of the body

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