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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pit — a hole
  4. row — to paddle
  5. current — happening now
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. season — of the year
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rush — hurry
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. row — a line
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. current — of water
  20. season — in sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. current — electric
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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