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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bank — for money
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bank — of a river
  8. club — for dancing
  9. race — a contest
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bound — obliged
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. wind — moving air
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bank — for money
  21. bound — certain
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. race — humankind

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