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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mate — to breed
  4. tube — a container
  5. scale — size or range
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. scale — in music
  11. mate — a partner
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mate — a friend
  15. lie — to recline
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. branch — a division
  18. race — the arms race
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. race — a contest
  22. tube — the underground
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bay — a horse colour

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