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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 116 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: wound · bank · can · race · file · rash · cap · last

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wound — an injury
  3. race — humankind
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bank — of a river
  6. file — a line of people
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. can — a tin
  11. last — final
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. file — a document
  15. cap — a hat
  16. last — to go on
  17. race — a contest
  18. can — a tin
  19. last — finally
  20. can — to be able to
  21. file — a tool
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bank — for money
  24. wound — an injury

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