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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bank — of a river
  5. race — a contest
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. band — a ring
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. band — a music group
  14. fall — to drop
  15. race — the arms race
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rash — hasty
  19. fall — the season
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. race — humankind
  22. bank — for money
  23. rash — a series
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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