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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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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: race · bear · current · object · dip · bank · saw · bark

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. race — a contest
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bark — to shout
  11. object — to protest
  12. saw — the tool
  13. current — of water
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. object — an aim
  17. bank — for money
  18. object — a thing
  19. bear — the animal
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. current — happening now
  22. saw — the tool
  23. current — electric
  24. race — humankind

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