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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rule — a law
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bank — for money
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stand — to bear
  11. vault — a safe
  12. last — finally
  13. bank — of a river
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. last — to go on
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rule — government
  18. bank — for money
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. last — final

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