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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: fan · scale · wind · leaves · race · mug · jam · bank

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wind — moving air
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mug — a face
  9. wind — moving air
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. race — humankind
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. race — the arms race
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. race — a contest
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. scale — in music
  24. jam — in traffic

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