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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 116 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: wound · lean · wax · race · racket · bay · bark · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. race — a contest
  4. bank — for money
  5. lean — thin
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wax — to grow
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wound — an injury
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bank — for money
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. race — humankind
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. racket — a loud noise

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