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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. current — electric
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. current — happening now
  5. charge — in control
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rest — what's left
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. branch — a division
  11. rest — a break
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ball — a dance
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. current — of water
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. ball — a great time

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