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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. staff — employees
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. tube — a container
  6. firm — steady
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lie — to recline
  9. firm — decided
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. staff — a stick
  15. scale — size or range
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. staff — employees
  19. race — the arms race
  20. scale — in music
  21. bank — of a river
  22. firm — a company
  23. bank — for money
  24. dip — to sink

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