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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. shower — rain
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. shower — to wash
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bank — for money
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bank — for money
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stand — to bear
  15. capital — money
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. race — humankind
  21. row — a line
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. capital — a city

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