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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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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: firm · bowl · rush · bound · fall · race · ball · spell

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. bound — obliged
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fall — to drop
  7. spell — letters
  8. fall — the season
  9. race — a contest
  10. ball — a great time
  11. firm — a company
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. firm — decided
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. firm — steady
  23. spell — magic
  24. ball — a round shape

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