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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cue — a hint
  3. race — the arms race
  4. tube — a container
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. branch — a division
  7. swing — to play on
  8. cue — for pool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. race — a contest
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. saw — the tool
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. swing — music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. sharp — clever
  19. race — humankind
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wake — a trail
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. swing — in golf

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