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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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pass — a permit
  4. current — happening now
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. current — of water
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. court — of law
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — electric
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. court — for sport
  17. plane — a tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. shower — rain
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. court — of a king
  22. branch — a division
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. arm — part of the body

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