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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mug — a face
  3. race — a contest
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. drill — army training
  6. branch — a division
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. race — the arms race
  9. current — electric
  10. charge — a price
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. current — happening now
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mug — to rob
  18. race — humankind
  19. mug — a cup
  20. charge — electricity
  21. current — of water
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. charge — in control

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