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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. firm — steady
  4. current — of water
  5. firm — a company
  6. clip — to cut
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. current — electric
  10. key — in music
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. current — happening now
  13. press — newspapers
  14. firm — decided
  15. clip — for paper
  16. press — to push
  17. spell — a short time
  18. clip — a video
  19. key — for a lock
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. press — a publisher
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. key — the most important part
  24. branch — of a tree

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