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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. race — the arms race
  4. last — to go on
  5. land — ground
  6. last — finally
  7. land — to come down
  8. bound — certain
  9. lean — thin
  10. bank — for money
  11. last — final
  12. race — humankind
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. land — a country
  15. bank — for money
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bound — obliged
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mate — a partner
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mate — a friend
  24. lean — to bend

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