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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. clip — a video
  4. spring — of water
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wake — a trail
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. current — happening now
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. clip — to cut
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spring — a coil
  18. branch — a division
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. spring — the season

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