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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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rest — what's left
  4. race — a contest
  5. charge — a price
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rest — a break
  9. race — humankind
  10. face — part of the head
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. branch — a division
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. charge — electricity
  18. face — to confront
  19. charge — in control
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bank — for money
  23. race — the arms race
  24. face — to point toward

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