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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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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: race · bank · last · stand · wave · bowl

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bank — for money
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bank — for money
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. race — humankind
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. last — to go on
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally

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