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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cell — in biology
  3. root — the cause
  4. race — a contest
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cell — a phone
  13. branch — a division
  14. root — of a word
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rush — hurry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. race — humankind
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. root — of a plant

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