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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. race — the arms race
  4. degree — from a university
  5. race — humankind
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. branch — a division
  8. present — a gift
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rock — music
  12. present — there
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. degree — an amount
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rock — a stone
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. race — a contest
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. present — the time now
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. degree — temperature

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