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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mate — to breed
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. staff — employees
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. staff — employees
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. mate — a partner
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pound — a weight
  17. branch — a division
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. race — humankind
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mate — a friend

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