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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: arm · board · rash · mark · wake · race · bank · sharp

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rash — a series
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rash — hasty
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. board — to get on
  8. race — the arms race
  9. board — a committee
  10. race — a contest
  11. bank — for money
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bank — for money
  17. wake — a trail
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. race — humankind
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mark — a trace

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