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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. race — humankind
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. race — the arms race
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. band — a ring
  10. pop — soda
  11. snap — to click
  12. band — a music group
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. race — a contest
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. key — in music
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. key — the most important part

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