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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bank — for money
  4. shower — rain
  5. rest — a break
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bank — of a river
  9. suit — clothes
  10. race — humankind
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. tear — to rip
  13. race — a contest
  14. suit — in cards
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. tear — from crying
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bank — for money
  21. chip — for betting
  22. race — the arms race
  23. content — happy
  24. rest — what's left

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