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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. clip — a video
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. clip — for paper
  6. suit — clothes
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. current — electric
  10. ground — a position
  11. current — happening now
  12. suit — in cards
  13. current — of water
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mine — for digging
  22. branch — a division
  23. clip — to cut
  24. ground — the earth

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