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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. can — to be able to
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. band — a ring
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. game — a match
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. can — a tin
  12. race — a contest
  13. branch — a division
  14. band — a music group
  15. game — wild animals
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. can — a tin
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. race — the arms race
  24. wind — to turn a key

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