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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: racket · temple · bank · rush · race · shower · stick · branch

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. race — the arms race
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. race — humankind
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bank — of a river
  10. shower — to wash
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bank — for money
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. race — a contest
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. shower — rain
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bank — for money
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. branch — a division

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