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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · branch · toast · race · ruler · last

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — bread
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. race — the arms race
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bear — the animal
  7. last — final
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. race — humankind
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. last — to go on
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. race — a contest
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. last — finally

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