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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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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 · bank · land · mouse · rush · hide · cell · lash

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bank — for money
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. race — a contest
  10. land — ground
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — for money
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. cell — a phone
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. land — to come down
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bank — of a river
  22. land — a country
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. race — humankind

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