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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. race — humankind
  6. degree — from a university
  7. object — to protest
  8. race — a contest
  9. mark — a trace
  10. land — ground
  11. race — the arms race
  12. degree — an amount
  13. land — a country
  14. object — an aim
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mark — a grade
  17. firm — steady
  18. branch — a division
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. land — to come down
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. firm — a company
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. object — a thing

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