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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. branch — a division
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. capital — a city
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. current — happening now
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wound — an injury
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. current — electric
  20. chair — a leader
  21. capital — money
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wound — an injury
  24. capital — a big letter

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