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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 help me carry this box?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wind — moving air
  3. branch — a division
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. current — electric
  6. shower — rain
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. current — happening now
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. can — a tin
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. spell — letters
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. current — of water
  16. bank — for money
  17. spell — magic
  18. bank — for money
  19. wind — moving air
  20. spell — a short time
  21. can — a tin
  22. bank — of a river
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. shower — to wash

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