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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fall — the season
  6. drill — army training
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. current — happening now
  9. bass — low music
  10. rest — a break
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. fall — to drop
  13. race — the arms race
  14. current — of water
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bass — the fish
  17. current — electric
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fall — to drop
  21. race — a contest
  22. bank — for money
  23. race — humankind
  24. bank — for money

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