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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cap — a lid
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cap — a hat
  6. tear — from crying
  7. current — happening now
  8. suit — in cards
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. scale — size or range
  11. craft — boats
  12. tear — to rip
  13. scale — in music
  14. branch — a division
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. current — of water
  17. kick — in football
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cap — of ice
  21. current — electric
  22. suit — to fit
  23. craft — a skill
  24. tear — from crying

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