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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bank — for money
  3. race — humankind
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bank — of a river
  7. spell — magic
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. race — a contest
  15. last — finally
  16. bank — for money
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rash — hasty
  23. staff — employees
  24. trunk — of a tree

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