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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rule — a law
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. current — electric
  5. stand — to bear
  6. craft — a skill
  7. current — happening now
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. current — of water
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. degree — an amount
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rule — government
  15. face — to confront
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. face — part of the head
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. deal — to handle
  23. degree — temperature
  24. craft — boats

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