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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 116 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: saw · row · current · stick · bank · race · staff · rest

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. 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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. race — the arms race
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bank — for money
  5. current — happening now
  6. row — to paddle
  7. current — electric
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rest — what's left
  10. row — a line
  11. current — of water
  12. bank — of a river
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. staff — employees
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. staff — employees
  23. saw — the tool
  24. 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