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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
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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: band · fan · cabinet · row · race · squash · leaves · capital

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a city
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. row — to paddle
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. band — a music group
  11. race — humankind
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. race — a contest
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. row — a line
  16. squash — to crush
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. band — a ring
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. squash — the sport

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