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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: temple · nail · file · press · race · branch · wind · bank

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. press — newspapers
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. file — a tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bank — for money
  12. file — a document
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. press — to push
  16. wind — moving air
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. race — a contest
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wind — moving air
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bank — of a river
  24. branch — of a tree

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