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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rule — a law
  6. tube — the underground
  7. race — a contest
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. tube — a container
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bank — for money
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. face — to confront
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. race — humankind
  16. wind — moving air
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rule — government
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bank — for money
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. face — part of the head
  24. racket — for tennis

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