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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 120 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 ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. last — final
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. race — a contest
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. race — humankind
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wound — an injury
  14. last — finally
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. race — the arms race
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wound — an injury
  20. last — to go on
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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