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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mine — for digging
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rule — government
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. race — the arms race
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bass — the fish
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bass — low music
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rule — a law
  24. branch — of a tree

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