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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 120 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. race — humankind
  2. lean — thin
  3. bank — of a river
  4. land — to come down
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. capital — a city
  7. branch — a division
  8. capital — money
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bank — for money
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. land — a country
  17. season — of the year
  18. lean — to bend
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bank — for money
  22. race — a contest
  23. season — in sport
  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