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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. current — happening now
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. club — a group
  6. current — electric
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. charge — in control
  12. pound — a weight
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. charge — electricity
  17. current — of water
  18. dip — to sink
  19. club — for dancing
  20. charge — a price
  21. club — for golf
  22. saw — the tool
  23. branch — a division
  24. dip — to dunk

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