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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. race — the arms race
  5. branch — a division
  6. race — a contest
  7. bulb — for light
  8. race — humankind
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bulb — for light
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bat — the animal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bulb — of a plant

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