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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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 — a division
  2. stock — goods
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. track — a path
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. race — the arms race
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. track — a song
  15. race — a contest
  16. wake — a trail
  17. track — to keep track
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stock — shares
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  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