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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. season — of the year
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. race — the arms race
  9. file — a document
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. land — ground
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rush — hurry
  14. season — in sport
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bank — for money
  17. file — a tool
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. race — a contest
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bank — of a river
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bank — for money

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