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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. current — happening now
  6. race — a contest
  7. stem — to come from
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mine — for digging
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. branch — a division
  24. wind — moving air

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