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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: pitch · race · cold · rush · temple · branch · wax · cabinet

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. race — a contest
  18. cold — not warm
  19. race — humankind
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. race — the arms race
  22. branch — a division
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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