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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. swing — to play on
  4. branch — a division
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. swing — in golf
  7. can — a tin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. swing — music
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. can — to be able to
  20. race — a contest
  21. net — for catching
  22. snap — to click
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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