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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bank — for money
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bank — for money
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. race — humankind
  10. track — to keep track
  11. file — a document
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. race — the arms race
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. race — a contest
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pound — a weight
  18. snap — to click
  19. file — a tool
  20. track — a path
  21. bound — obliged
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bound — certain
  24. file — a line of people

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