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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. current — electric
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bulb — for light
  9. current — of water
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bulb — for light
  14. current — happening now
  15. charge — in control
  16. last — finally
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. last — final
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. charge — a price
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. last — to go on
  24. branch — of a tree

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