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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: branch · race · hide · land · tear · saw · pitch · wave

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. race — the arms race
  4. land — to come down
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. race — a contest
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. race — humankind
  18. land — a country
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. land — ground
  23. tear — to rip
  24. saw — the tool

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