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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lie — to recline
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bank — of a river
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. court — of law
  9. bank — for money
  10. court — for sport
  11. capital — money
  12. current — electric
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bear — the animal
  16. current — happening now
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. capital — a city
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. branch — a division
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. court — of a king

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