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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. race — humankind
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bank — for money
  11. race — a contest
  12. bank — for money
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. race — the arms race
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  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