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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 116 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lean — thin
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. race — a contest
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bore — to drill
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. race — humankind
  22. mark — a trace
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lean — to bend

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