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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 124 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. race — a contest
  3. bulb — for light
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. kick — in football
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. field — farmland
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. plane — a tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. race — the arms race
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bulb — for light
  22. branch — a division
  23. rock — a stone
  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