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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mine — for digging
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. branch — a division
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. race — a contest
  13. face — to point toward
  14. lean — thin
  15. press — a publisher
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. face — to confront
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. face — part of the head
  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