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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: hide · rash · cabinet · dip · racket · row · drill · race

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rash — hasty
  3. row — to paddle
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. drill — the tool
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. drill — army training
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. row — a line
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rash — a series
  15. race — a contest
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. dip — to sink
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. dip — to dunk

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