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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: roll · bear · branch · bulb · nail · sharp · ruler · race

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. race — the arms race
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. race — humankind
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. roll — a list
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. race — a contest
  13. bear — the animal
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bear — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. roll — on a roll

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