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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: race · mate · branch · game · foot · stand · hide · trunk

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stand — to bear
  4. game — a match
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. branch — a division
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. race — a contest
  10. mate — a partner
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. race — the arms race
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. mate — to breed
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. foot — a measure
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. race — humankind
  22. game — wild animals
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mate — a friend

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