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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. current — electric
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kid — child
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. foot — a measure
  13. kid — to tease
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. current — of water
  18. sharp — clever
  19. dip — to sink
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. current — happening now
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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