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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. kid — to tease
  4. lie — to recline
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. track — to keep track
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. track — a song
  9. branch — a division
  10. track — a path
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. kid — child
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a line of people
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. race — a contest
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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