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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · rash · race · cabinet · bank · wave

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bank — for money
  3. present — the time now
  4. bank — for money
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rash — a series
  8. present — there
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. present — a gift
  11. rash — hasty
  12. race — humankind
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. race — the arms race

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