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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 116 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. race — humankind
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. race — a contest
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rash — a series
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rock — music
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. race — the arms race
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rash — hasty

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