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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: rush · mine · nail · race · bear · bank · firm · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bear — the animal
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bank — for money
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bank — for money
  12. firm — decided
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. race — a contest
  16. firm — steady
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. firm — a company
  23. race — humankind
  24. nail — for a hammer

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