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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 116 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: band · race · track · cabinet · branch · cell · season · lie

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. race — a contest
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. season — in sport
  6. branch — a division
  7. lie — to recline
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. season — of the year
  11. track — a path
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. race — the arms race
  14. band — a ring
  15. track — a song
  16. cell — in biology
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. race — humankind
  19. track — to keep track
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cell — a phone
  24. band — a music group

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