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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bank — for money
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. lean — thin
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. race — humankind
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bank — of a river
  20. band — a ring
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lean — to bend
  23. race — a contest
  24. bore — to drill

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