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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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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: wound · deal · race · branch · fall · can · object · swing

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. deal — to handle
  3. race — a contest
  4. object — an aim
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. swing — music
  7. object — a thing
  8. can — a tin
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. fall — the season
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wound — an injury
  14. object — to protest
  15. race — humankind
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fall — to drop
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. swing — to play on
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. branch — a division
  24. swing — in golf

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