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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rush — hurry
  9. race — humankind
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. current — electric
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. current — of water
  18. rash — a series
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. current — happening now
  24. cell — in biology

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