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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bank — for money
  10. race — humankind
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bound — certain
  14. branch — a division
  15. bound — obliged
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. race — a contest
  19. sharp — clever
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bound — tied together
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. saw — the tool

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