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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bank — of a river
  4. toast — bread
  5. race — humankind
  6. bank — for money
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. race — a contest
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. race — the arms race
  12. row — a line
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chair — a leader
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bank — for money
  24. mine — for digging

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