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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.

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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. club — for golf
  3. spell — letters
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stock — shares
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. spell — a short time
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. club — for dancing
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stock — goods
  17. club — a group
  18. current — happening now
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. current — electric
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — a division
  23. spell — magic
  24. lie — to recline

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