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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. shower — to wash
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. track — to keep track
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. race — humankind
  12. track — a path
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bark — to shout
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. track — a song
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. squash — to crush

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