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

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. race — humankind
  4. capital — a city
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bank — for money
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cell — in biology
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bank — for money
  17. branch — a division
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cell — a phone
  24. race — a contest

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