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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: last · race · chest · press · roll · bore · scale · bank

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. last — final
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. race — humankind
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. scale — size or range
  11. roll — a cake
  12. race — the arms race
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. bank — of a river
  16. press — newspapers
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. chest — of your body
  20. race — a contest
  21. bore — to tire
  22. chest — of your body
  23. scale — in music
  24. roll — a list

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