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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. race — humankind
  5. stock — shares
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. stock — goods
  21. land — a country
  22. race — the arms race
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. race — a contest

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