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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bank — for money
  6. chest — of your body
  7. staff — employees
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. chest — a box
  10. firm — steady
  11. staff — a stick
  12. race — a contest
  13. staff — employees
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. race — the arms race
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bank — for money
  19. craft — boats
  20. race — humankind
  21. firm — a company
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. firm — decided

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