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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: sharp · row · dip · coach · object · race · staff · fan

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. dip — to sink
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. row — a line
  8. object — a thing
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. object — an aim
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. staff — a stick
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — employees
  17. sharp — clever
  18. object — to protest
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. staff — employees
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. row — to paddle

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