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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: stand · mine · race · cue · branch · bank · wind · bass

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bank — for money
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bank — for money
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. race — humankind
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bass — low music
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cue — a signal
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. branch — a division
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wind — moving air
  23. race — a contest
  24. cue — a hint

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