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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. spell — letters
  6. prune — to trim
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. board — to get on
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. race — a contest
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. spell — magic
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bound — obliged
  22. prune — to trim
  23. spell — a short time
  24. board — a committee

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