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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. current — happening now
  4. ground — a position
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. current — electric
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. last — final
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. can — to be able to
  13. charge — a price
  14. ground — crushed
  15. can — a tin
  16. current — of water
  17. charge — in control
  18. ground — the earth
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. can — a tin
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. branch — a division
  24. straw — dry grass

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