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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. current — happening now
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. land — to come down
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. current — of water
  8. chip — for betting
  9. face — to point toward
  10. kick — in football
  11. face — to confront
  12. mark — a trace
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. branch — a division
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. land — a country
  19. chip — to eat
  20. current — electric
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mark — a grade
  24. land — ground

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