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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Let us try to swim against 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. cabinet — ministers
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lean — to bend
  4. current — electric
  5. fall — to drop
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. current — happening now
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. last — final
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. last — finally
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. perch — the fish
  18. lean — thin
  19. last — to go on
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fall — the season
  23. current — of water
  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