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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wake — a trail
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — a division
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. land — a country
  10. current — happening now
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. land — ground
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. current — of water
  18. drill — the tool
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. land — to come down
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wind — moving air

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