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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. root — of a word
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. root — of a plant
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wax — to grow
  13. root — the cause
  14. branch — a division
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. race — humankind
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. race — a contest

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