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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. current — happening now
  4. ground — the earth
  5. current — of water
  6. branch — a division
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rule — government
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rest — a break
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. current — electric
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rest — what's left
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rule — a law
  24. wind — moving air

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