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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: present · coach · straw · branch · pass · cabinet · race · chip

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. present — there
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pass — a permit
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. present — the time now
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. present — a gift
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chip — to eat
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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