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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. file — a tool
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. file — a line of people
  16. branch — a division
  17. club — for golf
  18. lean — thin
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. plane — a tool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. file — a document
  23. lean — to bend
  24. straw — dry grass

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