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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. face — to confront
  4. branch — a division
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. clip — to cut
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. current — of water
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. foot — a measure
  17. face — to point toward
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. current — happening now
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — a video
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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