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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wake — a trail
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cue — a hint
  6. sharp — clever
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cue — a signal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. current — happening now
  12. branch — a division
  13. last — final
  14. current — of water
  15. chair — a leader
  16. last — finally
  17. saw — the tool
  18. last — to go on
  19. cue — for pool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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