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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. race — the arms race
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bank — of a river
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lean — thin
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wound — an injury
  9. key — for a lock
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bank — for money
  12. lean — to bend
  13. race — a contest
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bore — to tire
  16. key — the most important part
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bank — for money
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wound — an injury
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. key — in music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. race — humankind

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