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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wound — an injury
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bank — for money
  7. fall — the season
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fall — to drop
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wound — an injury
  12. race — humankind
  13. net — for catching
  14. rash — hasty
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. net — after costs
  18. bank — for money
  19. rash — a series
  20. race — a contest
  21. net — in sport
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bank — of a river

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