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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 116 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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. branch — of a tree
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rash — hasty
  9. branch — a division
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bound — certain
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. current — happening now
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rest — what's left
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. current — electric
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rash — a series

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