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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. branch — a division
  3. chest — of your body
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chest — a box
  11. sharp — clever
  12. suit — clothes
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. can — a tin
  15. race — the arms race
  16. stem — to come from
  17. chest — of your body
  18. race — humankind
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. toast — bread
  21. suit — in cards
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. suit — to fit

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