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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. foot — a measure
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rest — a break
  5. branch — a division
  6. scale — in music
  7. race — humankind
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. can — a tin
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. can — a tin
  13. fall — the season
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. can — to be able to
  19. tube — a container
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rest — what's left
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fall — to drop

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