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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. last — final
  5. branch — a division
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fall — the season
  15. current — happening now
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. last — to go on
  18. current — electric
  19. face — to point toward
  20. last — finally
  21. fall — to drop
  22. can — a tin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fall — to drop

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