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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: race · shower · branch · stand · foot · key · dip · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. key — the most important part
  5. race — a contest
  6. branch — a division
  7. foot — a measure
  8. dip — to sink
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. shower — rain
  11. prune — to trim
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. race — the arms race
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. prune — to trim
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. race — humankind

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