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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 116 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: file · stock · race · wave · chair · straw · pass · branch

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. file — a line of people
  3. branch — a division
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stock — shares
  7. race — a contest
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. race — the arms race
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. file — a document
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. file — a tool
  19. race — humankind
  20. stock — goods
  21. pass — a permit
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pass — to spend time

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