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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: spring · pass · hide · branch · prune · race · mug · track

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. mug — a cup
  4. track — a song
  5. branch — a division
  6. track — to keep track
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mug — to rob
  10. race — a contest
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mug — a face
  14. spring — of water
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. track — a path
  17. pass — a permit
  18. spring — a coil
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. spring — the season

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