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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bank — for money
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bank — for money
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. row — a line
  8. band — a ring
  9. bank — of a river
  10. race — a contest
  11. stand — to bear
  12. row — to paddle
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mug — a face
  18. mate — a partner
  19. band — a music group
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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