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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: bank · wave · game · cell · bore · race

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. race — humankind
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. race — a contest
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bore — to tire
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bank — for money
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bank — for money
  14. game — wild animals
  15. race — the arms race
  16. game — a match
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bore — gave birth

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