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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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 — a division
  2. rock — music
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. race — a contest
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. current — electric
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. current — of water
  13. game — a match
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. charge — in control
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. current — happening now
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rock — a stone
  21. game — wild animals
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mine — for digging
  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