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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 120 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 · tube · lean · rush · race · degree · stand · mate

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. tube — a container
  3. lean — to bend
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. row — a line
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mate — a friend
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mate — a partner
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. row — to paddle
  17. degree — temperature
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rush — hurry
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. race — humankind
  24. lean — thin

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