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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. track — to keep track
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. branch — a division
  8. current — of water
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. track — a path
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. track — a song
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stem — to come from
  18. current — electric
  19. bass — the fish
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. plane — in geometry

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