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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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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: race · spell · tube · bank · object · saw · mine · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bank — for money
  3. spell — magic
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. spell — letters
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. object — a thing
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bank — of a river
  20. race — a contest
  21. tube — a container
  22. spell — a short time
  23. race — humankind
  24. bank — for money

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