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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bank — for money
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stand — to bear
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mate — to breed
  8. race — the arms race
  9. key — in music
  10. band — a ring
  11. bank — of a river
  12. race — humankind
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mate — a partner
  21. key — the most important part
  22. band — a music group
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. race — a contest

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