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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wind — moving air
  4. staff — employees
  5. race — humankind
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bank — for money
  9. staff — employees
  10. scale — size or range
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bass — the fish
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bass — low music
  19. race — the arms race
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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