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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. race — humankind
  3. net — after costs
  4. club — for dancing
  5. race — a contest
  6. net — for catching
  7. bank — for money
  8. club — a group
  9. tear — from crying
  10. net — in sport
  11. hand — help
  12. race — the arms race
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bank — of a river
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. hand — in cards
  23. club — for golf
  24. hand — part of the body

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