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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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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bark — to shout
  8. current — happening now
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. current — electric
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bank — for money
  20. current — of water
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. sharp — clever

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