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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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. board — a committee
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. race — humankind
  12. last — to go on
  13. board — to get on
  14. last — finally
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. last — final
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. branch — of a bank

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