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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: leaves · row · tube · wave · fall · chest · race · lash

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. row — to paddle
  3. race — humankind
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fall — to drop
  6. row — a line
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. race — a contest
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fall — to drop
  11. tube — a container
  12. chest — of your body
  13. race — the arms race
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fall — the season
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. leaves — lets stay

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