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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: race · calf · tear · can · rash · wake · bank · tube

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. wake — a trail
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rash — a series
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. can — to be able to
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. race — humankind
  14. tube — a container
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rash — hasty
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. race — a contest
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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