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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. can — to be able to
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. scale — size or range
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. current — electric
  12. can — a tin
  13. current — happening now
  14. bear — the animal
  15. craft — boats
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. scale — in music
  18. branch — a division
  19. craft — a skill
  20. can — a tin
  21. current — of water
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. scale — for weighing

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