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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 120 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: row · stand · wax · coach · rash · last · race · ball

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. last — to go on
  8. ball — a dance
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. last — final
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. last — finally
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ball — a great time
  18. wax — to grow
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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