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

Word bank: bank · ground · craft · leaves · kick · race

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. craft — boats
  5. bank — for money
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. ground — a position
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. ground — the earth
  11. race — humankind
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ground — crushed
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. race — a contest
  16. bank — for money
  17. race — the arms race
  18. kick — in football

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