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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: racket · bore · bay · wind · arm · race · spell · ball

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. race — a contest
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. spell — letters
  15. ball — a dance
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wind — moving air
  18. race — humankind
  19. bore — to tire
  20. spell — magic
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wind — to turn a key

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