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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. plane — a tool
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. branch — a division
  8. race — humankind
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rest — a break
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hand — in cards
  18. race — a contest
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lean — to bend
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. hand — help

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