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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: race · mark · hide · rule · bank · branch · lie · wound

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. race — a contest
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. race — humankind
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bank — for money
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rule — a law
  13. wound — an injury
  14. branch — a division
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bank — for money
  21. race — the arms race
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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