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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 116 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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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 · track · bank · race · mine · wind · lie · chip

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. race — humankind
  3. wind — moving air
  4. chip — for betting
  5. track — a song
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bank — for money
  10. race — a contest
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. race — the arms race
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lie — to recline
  21. track — a path
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bank — of a river
  24. track — to keep track

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