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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lean — thin
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lean — to bend
  6. hand — help
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. hand — in cards
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. branch — a division
  12. current — happening now
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. charge — electricity
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. current — electric
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. charge — in control
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. squash — to crush
  24. charge — a price

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