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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bank — for money
  3. race — the arms race
  4. land — a country
  5. rest — a break
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. cell — in biology
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. land — to come down
  14. rest — what's left
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rest — what's left
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bank — of a river
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. land — ground

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