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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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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitch — completely
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. race — humankind
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bank — for money
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bank — for money
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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