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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rock — a stone
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. net — in sport
  7. press — to push
  8. net — after costs
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rest — a break
  12. race — the arms race
  13. spring — the season
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rest — what's left
  20. spring — of water
  21. race — a contest
  22. rock — music
  23. net — for catching
  24. branch — a division

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