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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. current — happening now
  2. net — after costs
  3. current — electric
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. track — to keep track
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. net — in sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. track — a path
  15. current — of water
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. branch — a division
  18. mine — for digging
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. track — a song
  21. net — for catching
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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