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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: mouse · track · bank · mark · race · cold · tear · leaves

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. race — the arms race
  3. tear — to rip
  4. race — a contest
  5. bank — for money
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mark — a grade
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. race — humankind
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bank — for money
  19. mark — a trace
  20. tear — from crying
  21. track — a path
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. cold — an illness
  24. mouse — for a computer

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