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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. branch — a division
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mark — a trace
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. plane — a tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. race — a contest
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mark — a grade
  17. race — the arms race
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. race — humankind
  24. clip — a video

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