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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: rock · race · current · season · face · cue · mine · branch

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. race — the arms race
  3. season — of the year
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. race — a contest
  7. face — part of the head
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. race — humankind
  12. mine — for digging
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rock — a stone
  15. current — electric
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. face — to confront
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. season — in sport
  23. branch — a division
  24. rock — music

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