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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. squash — to crush
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. bank — for money
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bank — for money
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pop — music
  14. snap — to click
  15. squash — the sport
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pop — soda
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. drill — a practice
  20. race — humankind
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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