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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. swing — in golf
  11. scale — in music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rock — music

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