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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bass — low music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rule — government
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bass — the fish
  12. branch — a division
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rule — a law
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. staff — employees
  17. wound — an injury
  18. race — a contest
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. staff — employees

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