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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fall — the season
  8. race — a contest
  9. firm — steady
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. firm — decided
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rest — what's left
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fall — to drop
  21. branch — a division
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fall — to drop
  24. firm — a company

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