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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. lean — thin
  3. branch — a division
  4. hand — in cards
  5. current — electric
  6. spring — the season
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. hand — help
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. current — of water
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. lean — to bend
  18. deal — to handle
  19. spring — a coil
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. spring — of water
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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