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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: snap · bowl · dip · race · wind · bank · bulb · cabinet

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bank — for money
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bulb — for light
  6. snap — to click
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bank — for money
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bank — of a river
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. race — humankind
  21. wind — moving air
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bulb — for light
  24. race — the arms race

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