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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 120 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: wound · race · temple · branch · wave · swing · foot · squash

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. branch — a division
  5. race — the arms race
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. race — a contest
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. swing — to play on
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. swing — music
  22. race — humankind
  23. wound — an injury
  24. foot — a measure

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