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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: fork · safe · bank · press · lean · roll · race · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. press — to push
  7. lean — thin
  8. bank — of a river
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bank — for money
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. last — finally
  14. race — humankind
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bank — for money
  18. last — final
  19. roll — a cake
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. roll — a list
  24. fork — a garden tool

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