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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stock — shares
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. present — a gift
  8. current — electric
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. branch — a division
  11. court — of law
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stock — goods
  14. current — happening now
  15. plane — a tool
  16. lie — to recline
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. present — the time now
  22. current — of water
  23. present — there
  24. lie — an untruth

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