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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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Word bank
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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: mate · present · track · race · dip · snap · branch · can

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. race — the arms race
  3. branch — a division
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. can — to be able to
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mate — a friend
  9. race — a contest
  10. present — a gift
  11. can — a tin
  12. track — a path
  13. race — humankind
  14. present — the time now
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. snap — to click
  19. mate — a partner
  20. present — there
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. mate — to breed
  24. dip — to sink

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