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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: rush · face · chip · stick · mate · swing · bank · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. race — humankind
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mate — a friend
  5. race — the arms race
  6. face — to point toward
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. swing — in golf
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mate — to breed
  11. chip — for betting
  12. race — a contest
  13. swing — to play on
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bank — of a river
  16. face — to confront
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bank — for money
  20. swing — music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mate — a partner
  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