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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bank — of a river
  3. chair — a leader
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. current — electric
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bank — for money
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. branch — a division
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bank — for money
  17. snap — to click
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bass — low music
  20. mate — to breed
  21. current — of water
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. current — happening now
  24. chair — to sit on

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