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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. wind — moving air
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. branch — a division
  16. race — humankind
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bound — obliged

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