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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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Word bank
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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bank — for money
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. present — a gift
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. race — humankind
  12. rash — a series
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bank — for money
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. race — a contest
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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