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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. firm — a company
  3. bank — for money
  4. firm — steady
  5. race — the arms race
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. race — humankind
  9. tear — from crying
  10. race — a contest
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — decided
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tube — a container
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bank — of a river
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lean — to rest against

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