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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: cell · nail · leaves · branch · hide · bowl · pop · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — a division
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. race — the arms race
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pop — to visit
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. race — humankind
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bowl — a football final

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