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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 116 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mug — a face
  3. race — a contest
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mark — a trace
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mark — a grade
  16. branch — a division
  17. drill — a practice
  18. race — humankind
  19. drill — army training
  20. bass — low music
  21. drill — the tool
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mug — to rob

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