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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. branch — a division
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. current — happening now
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. current — electric
  11. lean — thin
  12. net — for catching
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. race — humankind
  16. current — of water
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. net — after costs
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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