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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rest — a break
  3. present — a gift
  4. current — happening now
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fall — to drop
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. scale — in music
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. present — there
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fall — the season
  16. rush — hurry
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. present — the time now
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fall — to drop
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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