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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. race — a contest
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bank — for money
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bank — for money
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. race — humankind
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. roll — a list
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bank — of a river
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fine — all right
  24. pitcher — a jug

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