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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. clip — to cut
  5. branch — a division
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. current — happening now
  10. clip — a video
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — of water
  13. rock — music
  14. rush — hurry
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. staff — employees
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lie — to recline
  20. current — electric
  21. clip — for paper
  22. rock — a stone
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rush — a thrill

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