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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: racket · track · snap · branch · nail · wake · face · race

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. track — a path
  3. wake — a trail
  4. race — a contest
  5. track — to keep track
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. race — humankind
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. branch — a division
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. track — a song
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. snap — to click
  21. race — the arms race
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. face — to confront
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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