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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. current — of water
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. row — a line
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. degree — an amount
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. branch — a division
  13. degree — temperature
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. degree — from a university
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. object — to protest
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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