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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. branch — a division
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. march — music
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. march — the month
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. march — the month
  11. race — a contest
  12. foot — a measure
  13. race — humankind
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. race — the arms race
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fine — all right

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