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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. race — the arms race
  3. swing — to play on
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. last — final
  6. chest — a box
  7. last — finally
  8. chest — of your body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. chest — of your body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. race — humankind
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — to go on
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  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