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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: saw · stick · cabinet · staff · mark · race · suit · branch

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. race — a contest
  5. suit — clothes
  6. race — humankind
  7. staff — employees
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. saw — the tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. mark — a grade
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. staff — a stick
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. saw — the tool
  21. race — the arms race
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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