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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. suit — to fit
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. object — to protest
  5. current — happening now
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. object — an aim
  10. chair — a leader
  11. object — a thing
  12. squash — to crush
  13. key — for a lock
  14. current — of water
  15. suit — clothes
  16. squash — the sport
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. key — the most important part
  19. current — electric
  20. suit — in cards
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. branch — a division
  23. key — in music
  24. chair — a professorship

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