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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. object — to protest
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. branch — a division
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. sharp — clever
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. race — a contest
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. saw — the tool
  14. season — in sport
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. object — a thing
  20. ball — a dance
  21. season — of the year
  22. race — humankind
  23. object — an aim
  24. saw — the tool

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