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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 116 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 · cell · present · land · trunk · saw · current · branch

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. current — happening now
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. land — to come down
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. present — there
  12. cell — in biology
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — a division
  15. present — a gift
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. current — electric
  18. land — ground
  19. cell — a phone
  20. current — of water
  21. present — the time now
  22. land — a country
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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