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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: sharp · trunk · race · ruler · wind · bass · bank · branch

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wind — moving air
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wind — moving air
  6. sharp — clever
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bank — for money
  9. race — a contest
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. race — humankind
  23. bass — low music
  24. branch — a division

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