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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. last — to go on
  3. race — humankind
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. field — farmland
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. last — finally
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. last — final
  13. race — a contest
  14. field — a subject
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. field — for sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fan — a supporter

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