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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. race — humankind
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. band — a music group
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. firm — a company
  10. charge — in control
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. race — the arms race
  15. firm — steady
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fine — all right
  18. band — a ring
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fine — high quality
  21. branch — a division
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. charge — a price
  24. race — a contest

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