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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. march — the month
  3. race — humankind
  4. branch — a division
  5. staff — employees
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mug — a cup
  8. race — the arms race
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. snap — to click
  15. mug — a face
  16. staff — employees
  17. march — music
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mug — to rob
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. staff — a stick
  23. march — the month
  24. race — a contest

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