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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. band — a ring
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. race — humankind
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. key — the most important part
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. race — a contest
  14. key — in music
  15. shower — rain
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. shower — to wash
  20. band — a music group
  21. race — the arms race
  22. key — for a lock
  23. kick — in football
  24. band — a rubber band

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