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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lie — to recline
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. race — the arms race
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. branch — a division
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stock — shares
  10. clip — a video
  11. bulb — for light
  12. race — humankind
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mark — a trace
  15. stock — goods
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mark — a grade
  19. race — a contest
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mark — to pay attention

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