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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.

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: rush · pitcher · cell · pass · race · spell · row · straw

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cell — in biology
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. race — humankind
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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