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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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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: saw · cabinet · race · snap · racket · mine · can · bank

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mine — for digging
  6. snap — to click
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. race — a contest
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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