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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. lean — to bend
  5. race — humankind
  6. bank — for money
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bank — of a river
  9. charge — electricity
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. race — the arms race
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. drill — army training
  17. tube — the underground
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. tube — a container
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. lean — thin
  23. race — a contest
  24. bat — in an idiom

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