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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. race — humankind
  8. capital — a city
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. capital — money
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. race — a contest
  18. bank — for money
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pop — music
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. race — the arms race

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