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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 124 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — of water
  4. branch — a division
  5. current — happening now
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. chip — to eat
  8. current — electric
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. shower — rain
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lie — to recline
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. deal — to handle
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. hand — help
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lie — an untruth

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