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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. current — happening now
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. current — of water
  8. track — a song
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. track — to keep track
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. spell — magic
  16. present — a gift
  17. spell — letters
  18. branch — a division
  19. rush — hurry
  20. present — there
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. present — the time now
  24. current — electric

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