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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.

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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: kick · wound · row · bowl · charge · rush · patient · race

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rush — hurry
  5. charge — a price
  6. race — a contest
  7. kick — in football
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. charge — electricity
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. row — to paddle
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. row — a line
  20. wound — an injury
  21. race — humankind
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. charge — in control
  24. bowl — a dish

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