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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 bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. fall — to drop
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. toast — bread
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. branch — a division
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. patient — a sick person

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