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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. degree — from a university
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hand — help
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. degree — temperature
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. degree — an amount
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — electric
  20. firm — decided
  21. current — happening now
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. current — of water

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