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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. spring — the season
  3. club — for golf
  4. branch — a division
  5. spring — a coil
  6. firm — a company
  7. race — the arms race
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mug — to rob
  10. firm — steady
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. spring — of water
  15. race — a contest
  16. mug — a face
  17. club — a group
  18. face — part of the head
  19. race — humankind
  20. mug — a cup
  21. firm — decided
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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