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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lie — to recline
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. object — an aim
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. squash — the sport
  16. race — a contest
  17. object — a thing
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. squash — to crush
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. racket — for tennis

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