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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bank — for money
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. squash — the sport
  12. race — humankind
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bank — for money
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tube — the underground
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stand — to bear
  21. race — a contest
  22. tube — a container
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. patient — a sick person

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