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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. face — to confront
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. key — in music
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. key — the most important part
  9. race — humankind
  10. hand — help
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. hand — in cards
  14. race — the arms race
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. race — a contest
  19. branch — a division
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. face — to point toward
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. key — for a lock

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