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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.

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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: can · race · bound · row · tube · coach · rash · mark

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. row — to paddle
  7. race — humankind
  8. can — a tin
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bound — certain
  15. tube — the underground
  16. row — a line
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rash — a series
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rash — hasty
  22. race — a contest
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mark — a grade

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