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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mug — a cup
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fall — to drop
  5. current — of water
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. lean — thin
  13. fall — the season
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lean — to bend
  18. current — electric
  19. pit — in a race
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a tool
  22. mug — a face
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. current — happening now

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