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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. race — humankind
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. lean — thin
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. race — a contest
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bank — for money
  11. prune — to trim
  12. charge — in control
  13. bank — for money
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lean — to bend
  16. band — a music group
  17. charge — a price
  18. wake — a trail
  19. prune — to trim
  20. band — a ring
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. race — the arms race
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lean — to rest against

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