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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bat — the animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. suit — clothes
  6. drill — the tool
  7. branch — a division
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. dip — to sink
  11. race — a contest
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. drill — army training
  14. net — for catching
  15. suit — to fit
  16. race — humankind
  17. net — in sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. suit — in cards
  20. net — after costs
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. wake — before a funeral

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