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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · coach · key · wake · spring · race · row · rash

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. row — a line
  3. spring — of water
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. row — to paddle
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. key — in music
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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