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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. saw — the tool
  3. capital — a city
  4. current — of water
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rock — music
  7. last — to go on
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. object — to protest
  10. saw — the tool
  11. last — final
  12. object — an aim
  13. capital — money
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. current — happening now
  17. dip — to sink
  18. object — a thing
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. current — electric
  22. last — finally
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. branch — a division

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