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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. kick — in football
  12. tube — a container
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. tube — the underground
  15. key — the most important part
  16. face — part of the head
  17. key — in music
  18. race — humankind
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. key — for a lock
  23. branch — a division
  24. race — the arms race

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