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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. current — happening now
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wind — moving air
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. season — of the year
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rock — a stone
  10. current — of water
  11. wind — moving air
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. branch — a division
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. current — electric
  21. bore — to drill
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. season — in sport

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