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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. charge — electricity
  8. row — to paddle
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. race — a contest
  14. branch — a division
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. race — the arms race
  21. row — a line
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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