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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bank — for money
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bank — of a river
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. race — humankind
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bank — for money
  16. band — a music group
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rule — government
  19. band — a ring
  20. wind — moving air
  21. race — a contest
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rule — a law

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