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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: drill · branch · face · stock · nail · cell · race · bowl

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. drill — the tool
  5. race — humankind
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stock — goods
  9. drill — army training
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. face — to point toward
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. branch — a division
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stock — shares
  17. cell — a phone
  18. race — a contest
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. drill — a practice
  23. face — to confront
  24. race — the arms race

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