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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. current — of water
  3. wound — an injury
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bound — obliged
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bound — certain
  15. face — to confront
  16. current — electric
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bound — tied together
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. current — happening now
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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