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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: staff · bank · rule · club · wound · rush · race · wake

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wound — an injury
  5. staff — employees
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bank — for money
  10. staff — employees
  11. wake — a trail
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rule — government
  15. club — a group
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bank — for money
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bank — of a river
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. race — a contest
  24. rule — a law

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