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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 120 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 looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bank — for money
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pass — a permit
  5. race — humankind
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. race — a contest
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. can — a tin
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. race — the arms race
  16. can — a tin
  17. bank — for money
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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