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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 116 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: rash · race · spell · wake · bear · face · kid · bowl

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. race — humankind
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. spell — a short time
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. spell — magic
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. face — to confront
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. kid — child
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. race — a contest
  22. spell — letters
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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