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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 120 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 · board · snap · craft · object · saw · fine · branch

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fine — all right
  3. board — to get on
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. snap — to click
  15. race — a contest
  16. craft — boats
  17. object — an aim
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. craft — a skill
  22. board — a committee
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — the arms race

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