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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: row · fine · cap · branch · trunk · race · stick · bore

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. race — a contest
  5. bore — to tire
  6. race — the arms race
  7. cap — a lid
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. race — humankind
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fine — all right
  17. cap — a hat
  18. branch — a division
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fine — high quality
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bore — gave birth

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