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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 116 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: mouse · band · bear · mate · race · pass · firm · row

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. race — humankind
  3. band — a music group
  4. row — a line
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. race — a contest
  7. pass — a permit
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. band — a ring
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bear — the animal
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. firm — decided

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