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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: stick · stock · race · branch · wave · chest · season · bay

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. race — a contest
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stock — goods
  8. branch — a division
  9. race — the arms race
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. season — in sport
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. season — of the year
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stock — shares
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. race — humankind
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. chest — of your body

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