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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. game — a match
  4. tube — a container
  5. race — the arms race
  6. date — the fruit
  7. key — for a lock
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. branch — a division
  11. land — to come down
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. race — humankind
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. race — a contest
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lash — an eyelash

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