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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. branch — a division
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lean — to bend
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. object — a thing
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. race — a contest
  9. object — an aim
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. ball — a great time
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. perch — the fish
  17. ball — a dance
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. race — the arms race
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. object — to protest

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