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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. current — electric
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. current — happening now
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bear — the animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. race — humankind
  20. swing — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stem — of a plant
  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