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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. tear — from crying
  3. race — humankind
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bark — to shout
  11. race — a contest
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. race — the arms race
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. tear — from crying
  20. branch — a division
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. key — in music
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mine — an explosive

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