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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. race — a contest
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. race — the arms race
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bank — for money
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. race — humankind
  20. cue — a hint
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bank — of a river

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