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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. current — electric
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. branch — a division
  5. spring — the season
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bank — for money
  8. hand — help
  9. bank — for money
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. current — of water
  13. race — a contest
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. current — happening now
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bank — of a river
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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