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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 116 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: cue · rock · bound · race · bore · wave · branch · rash

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bound — certain
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rock — music
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rash — a series
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bound — obliged
  18. branch — a division
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. race — a contest

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