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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 · temple · rash · row · chip · fall · arm · lash

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. race — humankind
  4. chip — to eat
  5. race — a contest
  6. row — a line
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rash — a series
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. race — the arms race
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rash — hasty
  24. arm — a part of something

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