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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pop — music
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pop — soda
  12. row — a line
  13. plane — a tool
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. staff — employees
  19. pop — to visit
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. mark — to pay attention

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