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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: tube · rush · spell · key · arm · row · pound · race

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. tube — a container
  3. key — for a lock
  4. spell — magic
  5. row — a line
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. race — humankind
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. spell — letters
  14. key — the most important part
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. key — in music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. tube — the underground
  21. race — a contest
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. spell — a short time
  24. tube — in a tire

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