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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 · can · fall · bowl · branch · leaves · degree · lash

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. race — the arms race
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. can — a tin
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. race — humankind
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. race — a contest
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. degree — an amount

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