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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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. spring — the season
  3. bank — for money
  4. pass — a permit
  5. race — humankind
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. spring — of water
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bank — of a river
  11. spring — a coil
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. tear — from crying
  17. race — a contest
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bank — for money
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. race — the arms race
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pass — to spend time

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