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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. squash — to crush
  3. race — humankind
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bank — for money
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bank — for money
  11. race — the arms race
  12. object — an aim
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. snap — to click
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mine — for digging
  23. chest — a box
  24. race — a contest

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