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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. present — the time now
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. present — there
  6. current — of water
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. current — electric
  12. firm — decided
  13. present — a gift
  14. spell — magic
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. current — happening now
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. spell — letters
  19. branch — a division
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. spell — a short time
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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