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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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 — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. race — humankind
  6. bank — for money
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. spell — a short time
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. charge — electricity
  12. chest — of your body
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. chest — of your body
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. charge — a price
  19. chest — a box
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bank — of a river
  22. charge — in control
  23. bass — low music
  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