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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: tube · racket · prune · bank · swing · race · saw · leaves

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bank — of a river
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bank — for money
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. prune — to trim
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bank — for money
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. prune — to trim
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. swing — to play on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tube — a container
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. swing — music

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