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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. current — of water
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bulb — for light
  16. current — happening now
  17. bulb — for light
  18. current — electric

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