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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. prune — to trim
  3. object — an aim
  4. file — a document
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. race — the arms race
  7. branch — a division
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. prune — to trim
  10. race — a contest
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bore — to drill
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. file — a tool
  15. race — humankind
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. object — to protest
  18. file — a line of people
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. object — a thing

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