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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
468
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: arm · can · stem · bank · race · rush · mark · court

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. race — humankind
  3. can — a tin
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bank — for money
  9. court — for sport
  10. bank — for money
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. court — of law
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. race — a contest
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mark — a trace
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bank — of a river
  24. court — of a king

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