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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. lean — to bend
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lean — thin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. race — humankind
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. clip — to cut
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. race — a contest
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. clip — a video
  24. leaves — lets stay

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