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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: bear · branch · race · stick · wound · firm · rush · mouse

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. race — a contest
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. wound — an injury
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bear — the animal
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rush — hurry
  15. firm — decided
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. race — humankind
  18. firm — a company
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. branch — a division
  22. firm — steady
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to 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