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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: wake · wind · pit · hide · board · club · bank · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. club — a group
  6. board — a committee
  7. bank — for money
  8. race — humankind
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wind — moving air
  11. club — for golf
  12. pit — in a race
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bank — of a river
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. race — a contest
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bank — for money
  21. club — for dancing
  22. board — to get on
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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