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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bank — for money
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. race — humankind
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rock — music
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bank — for money
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. race — a contest
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. kick — in football
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rock — to move gently

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