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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: race · cell · last · hide · bank · pit · dip · bark

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. race — humankind
  3. last — to go on
  4. cell — in biology
  5. last — finally
  6. race — the arms race
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. pit — in a race
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. race — a contest
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. last — final
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bank — of a river
  23. dip — to dunk
  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