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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. toast — bread
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. sharp — clever
  10. race — a contest
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wound — an injury
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wound — an injury
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. race — the arms race
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. branch — a division
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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