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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cap — a hat
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bank — for money
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — a tin
  12. race — humankind
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bank — for money
  15. rush — hurry
  16. race — a contest
  17. vault — a safe
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cap — of ice
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. race — the arms race

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