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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bass — low music
  9. mug — a face
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. ball — a great time
  15. race — a contest
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. race — the arms race
  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