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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mug — a cup
  5. can — a tin
  6. kick — in football
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. track — a song
  10. mug — to rob
  11. track — a path
  12. race — the arms race
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. race — a contest
  15. pop — soda
  16. branch — a division
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. can — to be able to
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. track — to keep track
  24. race — humankind

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