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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. branch — a division
  3. rest — a break
  4. mug — to rob
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cell — a phone
  9. wind — moving air
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bear — the animal
  12. current — of water
  13. bear — the animal
  14. current — happening now
  15. mug — a cup
  16. current — electric
  17. mug — a face
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cell — in biology
  24. wind — to turn a key

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