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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. race — the arms race
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. net — after costs
  8. pop — music
  9. mark — a trace
  10. net — for catching
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pop — to visit
  13. current — happening now
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pop — soda
  16. net — in sport
  17. current — electric
  18. branch — a division
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mark — a grade
  21. race — humankind
  22. face — to confront
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. current — of water

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