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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: rush · leaves · press · fall · club · race · bank · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bank — for money
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. race — a contest
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. race — humankind
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fall — to drop
  12. row — a line
  13. bank — for money
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. press — to push
  16. bank — of a river
  17. race — the arms race
  18. press — newspapers
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. rush — to hurry

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