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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: rule · race · bear · tear · toast · bank

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bank — of a river
  4. toast — bread
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. race — humankind
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rule — government
  12. tear — from crying
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. race — a contest
  17. tear — to rip
  18. 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