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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 116 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. race — a contest
  2. bank — for money
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mine — for digging
  5. firm — steady
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. firm — decided
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. row — a line
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. cold — an illness
  15. race — the arms race
  16. firm — a company
  17. bank — of a river
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bank — for money
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mine — an explosive
  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