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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bank — for money
  5. current — happening now
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. row — a line
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. current — electric
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bank — for money
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. current — of water
  19. bank — of a river
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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