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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mine — for digging
  13. race — humankind
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tube — a container
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bank — for money

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