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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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. foot — a measure
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. press — to push
  6. shower — rain
  7. spring — of water
  8. press — newspapers
  9. capital — a city
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bank — of a river
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bank — for money
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. press — a publisher
  16. shower — to wash
  17. capital — money
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. spring — the season
  21. race — a contest
  22. bank — for money
  23. foot — part of the body
  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