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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. can — to be able to
  6. branch — a division
  7. ball — a great time
  8. race — a contest
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. band — a ring
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. race — the arms race
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. band — a music group
  24. race — humankind

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