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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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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: race · rash · wind · drill · key · leaves · ruler · cold

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. cold — not warm
  4. key — in music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. race — humankind
  8. drill — army training
  9. key — the most important part
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rash — a series
  12. drill — a practice
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — an illness
  17. race — the arms race
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rash — hasty
  24. race — a contest

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