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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. race — humankind
  3. foot — a measure
  4. land — ground
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. track — a song
  8. land — to come down
  9. race — the arms race
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. race — a contest
  14. stem — to come from
  15. land — a country
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rest — what's left
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rest — what's left
  22. track — a path
  23. rest — a break
  24. branch — a division

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