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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: wind · cell · tube · foot · race · cabinet · pit · branch

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — a contest
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. branch — a division
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pit — in a race
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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