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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: suit · rest · hide · object · row · band · capital · race

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. race — the arms race
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. race — humankind
  5. object — to protest
  6. rest — what's left
  7. race — a contest
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. row — a line
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. band — a music group
  12. object — a thing
  13. capital — a city
  14. band — a ring
  15. suit — to fit
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. suit — clothes
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. row — to paddle
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. object — an aim
  22. capital — money
  23. rest — what's left
  24. suit — in cards

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