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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — an illness
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pound — a weight
  13. race — humankind
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. race — a contest
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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