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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. race — a contest
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. drill — a practice
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. race — humankind
  11. chip — for betting
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wound — an injury
  15. drill — army training
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chip — to eat
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bank — for money
  22. race — the arms race
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cabinet — ministers

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