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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. current — electric
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. current — happening now
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mate — to breed
  13. current — of water
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bear — the animal
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bound — certain
  18. kick — in football
  19. mate — a partner
  20. land — a country
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. land — ground
  23. land — to come down
  24. cap — a hat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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