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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. branch — a division
  3. current — electric
  4. object — to protest
  5. bass — low music
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bulb — for light
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. current — happening now
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. object — a thing
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. saw — the tool
  19. current — of water
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wind — moving air

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