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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: wind · lean · spell · race · rock · fall · ball · saw

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lean — thin
  5. race — humankind
  6. ball — a dance
  7. race — a contest
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fall — the season
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. ball — a great time
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rock — music

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