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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bear — the animal
  3. row — a line
  4. current — electric
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bear — the animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. row — to paddle
  10. branch — a division
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. current — of water
  17. band — a music group
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. band — a ring
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mark — a grade

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