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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rest — a break
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. shower — rain
  9. race — humankind
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. track — a song
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. race — the arms race
  17. shower — to wash
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. race — a contest
  23. rest — what's left
  24. track — a path

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