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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. chest — of your body
  10. branch — a division
  11. object — an aim
  12. chest — of your body
  13. track — a song
  14. object — to protest
  15. track — a path
  16. object — a thing
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bark — to shout
  19. season — in sport
  20. bank — of a river
  21. chest — a box
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. season — of the year
  24. branch — of a tree

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