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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. object — a thing
  10. bank — for money
  11. object — an aim
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. kid — to tease
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. kid — child
  16. current — of water
  17. race — humankind
  18. current — electric
  19. mine — for digging
  20. current — happening now
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. object — to protest

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