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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 116 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bank — of a river
  7. firm — steady
  8. cold — not warm
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. race — humankind
  12. bank — for money
  13. board — to get on
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. board — a committee
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. race — a contest
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. firm — decided
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. firm — a company

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