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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. capital — a city
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. current — of water
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. branch — a division

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