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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stock — shares
  5. pass — a permit
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. tube — a container
  10. stock — goods
  11. race — humankind
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fall — to drop
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bore — to drill
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. branch — a division

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