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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bank — for money
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. wake — a trail
  13. face — to confront
  14. rock — music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. race — a contest
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wound — an injury
  20. face — part of the head
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rock — a stone

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