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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. current — electric
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. sharp — clever
  5. face — to point toward
  6. current — happening now
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. branch — a division
  9. current — of water
  10. march — the month
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. march — the month
  20. face — to confront
  21. spell — a short time
  22. toast — bread
  23. face — part of the head
  24. march — music

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