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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wound — an injury
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. current — electric
  7. mug — a cup
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. content — happy
  11. branch — a division
  12. content — the amount
  13. current — happening now
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. current — of water
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wound — an injury
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. band — a ring
  21. mug — a face
  22. band — a music group
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. branch — of a tree

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