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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: race · saw · rash · row · chip · bank · wake · kid

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bank — for money
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bank — for money
  6. rash — a series
  7. kid — child
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. race — the arms race
  11. row — to paddle
  12. kid — to tease
  13. race — humankind
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. saw — the tool
  20. row — a line
  21. rash — hasty
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. race — a contest
  24. chip — in a computer

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