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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. race — the arms race
  3. branch — a division
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. race — a contest
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. tube — the underground
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. race — humankind
  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