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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 120 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: saw · track · staff · kid · face · foot · race · branch

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. face — to point toward
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. race — humankind
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. kid — to tease
  10. race — a contest
  11. staff — employees
  12. track — a path
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. track — a song
  15. kid — child
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. staff — a stick
  18. face — to confront
  19. race — the arms race
  20. branch — a division
  21. track — to keep track
  22. face — part of the head
  23. staff — employees
  24. saw — the tool

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