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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. race — a contest
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. race — humankind
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bulb — for light
  7. file — a tool
  8. rule — a law
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rule — government
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. branch — a division
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. race — the arms race
  22. file — a document
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bowl — a dish

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