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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. shower — rain
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. net — for catching
  10. mine — for digging
  11. net — in sport
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. current — electric
  14. net — after costs
  15. shower — to wash
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pop — music
  21. tube — a container
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. branch — a division
  24. pop — soda

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