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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mate — to breed
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. tear — from crying
  6. saw — the tool
  7. current — of water
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — happening now
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. board — a committee
  12. mate — a friend
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. board — to get on
  15. tear — to rip
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rest — what's left
  18. branch — a division
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. current — electric

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