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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mug — to rob
  6. race — a contest
  7. mug — a face
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. field — for sport
  16. mug — a cup
  17. lean — thin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. race — humankind
  23. lean — to bend
  24. coach — a trainer

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