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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. chest — a box
  3. bank — for money
  4. race — the arms race
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. land — to come down
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rock — music
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mark — a trace
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. race — a contest
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. chest — of your body
  20. land — ground
  21. rock — a stone
  22. land — a country
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. race — humankind

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