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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 120 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
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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: bank · cap · rash · bat · leaves · race · club · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. race — humankind
  6. bank — for money
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cap — a lid
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. club — for golf
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rash — a series
  15. club — for dancing
  16. race — a contest
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. club — a group
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bat — the animal
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bank — for money

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