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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. season — of the year
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. race — a contest
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. race — humankind
  11. mark — a trace
  12. kick — in football
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. branch — a division
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. race — the arms race
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. season — in sport
  24. cabinet — ministers

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