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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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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: roll · bank · object · wind · bay · toast · chair · race

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wind — moving air
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. roll — a cake
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. toast — bread
  11. race — a contest
  12. roll — a list
  13. wind — moving air
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. race — humankind
  16. bank — for money
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bank — for money
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bank — of a river
  24. race — the arms race

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