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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. race — humankind
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. race — a contest
  10. clip — a video
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. race — the arms race
  14. track — a path
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mark — a grade
  20. track — a song
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. track — to keep track
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. branch — of a tree

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