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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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 — a division
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. hand — in cards
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fine — high quality
  17. suit — clothes
  18. snap — to click
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. saw — the tool
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. branch — of a bank
  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