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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 · roll · foot · bound · saw · bowl · branch · fall

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fall — to drop
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fall — to drop
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. race — the arms race
  12. fall — the season
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bound — tied together
  15. race — a contest
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. race — humankind
  18. branch — a division
  19. roll — a list
  20. bound — certain
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bound — obliged
  24. branch — of a tree

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