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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fine — all right
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bound — certain
  9. rest — a break
  10. tube — a container
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fine — high quality
  17. race — a contest
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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