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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cell — in biology
  3. race — a contest
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. race — humankind
  6. spring — the season
  7. cell — a phone
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. race — the arms race
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. branch — a division
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. club — for dancing
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. spring — of water
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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