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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: temple · swing · branch · race · mug · pass · snap · bulb

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. mug — a face
  3. race — a contest
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mug — to rob
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mug — a cup
  12. branch — a division
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. swing — music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. snap — to click
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. race — humankind
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. race — the arms race

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