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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. current — of water
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cell — in biology
  5. tube — the underground
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. current — electric
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. key — the most important part
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. key — for a lock
  15. firm — steady
  16. cell — a phone
  17. current — happening now
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. tube — a container
  21. key — in music
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bound — certain

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