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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: lie · pit · press · craft · band · race · bulb · branch

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. band — a ring
  4. bulb — for light
  5. press — newspapers
  6. band — a music group
  7. race — a contest
  8. branch — a division
  9. craft — a skill
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. press — to push
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lie — to recline
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. craft — boats
  20. bulb — for light
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bulb — of a plant

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