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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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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: rash · hand · ball · can · leaves · wave · club · race

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. race — humankind
  6. ball — a great time
  7. club — for golf
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. club — a group
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. race — a contest
  14. club — for dancing
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. race — the arms race
  17. hand — help
  18. rash — a series
  19. hand — in cards
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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