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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mate — to breed
  6. file — a line of people
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. race — a contest
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. ground — crushed
  13. file — a tool
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mate — a friend
  16. file — a document
  17. race — humankind
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bank — of a river
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ground — a position
  24. suit — clothes

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