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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: squash · bank · current · dip · mark · wound · staff · race

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mark — a trace
  3. staff — employees
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. squash — the sport
  6. race — humankind
  7. bank — of a river
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. staff — a stick
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. current — happening now
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. staff — employees
  15. squash — to crush
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bank — for money
  18. race — a contest
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. mark — a grade
  21. current — electric
  22. race — the arms race
  23. wound — an injury
  24. current — of water

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