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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. present — there
  6. pound — a weight
  7. present — a gift
  8. race — humankind
  9. present — the time now
  10. net — for catching
  11. race — a contest
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. snap — to click
  14. face — part of the head
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. branch — a division
  19. face — to confront
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. face — to point toward
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. race — the arms race

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