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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. march — the month
  6. current — electric
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mine — for digging
  14. march — the month
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rash — a series
  18. current — of water
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. march — music
  21. current — happening now
  22. branch — a division
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mine — an explosive

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