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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.

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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: race · bank · bay · mug · last · perch · object · fall

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bank — for money
  3. mug — a face
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mug — to rob
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mug — a cup
  8. last — finally
  9. fall — to drop
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bank — for money
  14. last — final
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. fall — the season
  18. object — a thing
  19. race — a contest
  20. last — to go on
  21. object — an aim
  22. bank — of a river
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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