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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 120 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bark — to shout
  3. race — the arms race
  4. drill — army training
  5. race — a contest
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. current — of water
  8. staff — employees
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. staff — employees
  14. current — happening now
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. current — electric
  22. branch — a division
  23. staff — a stick
  24. drill — a practice

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