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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mark — a trace
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. branch — a division
  8. current — of water
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rock — music
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. kick — in football
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. current — electric
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cold — not warm
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cold — the Cold War

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