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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: row · rock · face · drill · race · stem · wind · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. race — a contest
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rock — music
  8. scale — in music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. row — to paddle
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. race — the arms race
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wind — moving air
  16. row — a line
  17. drill — army training
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wind — moving air
  23. face — to confront
  24. race — humankind

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