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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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 song
  2. shower — rain
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. current — happening now
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. land — ground
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. land — a country
  12. shower — to wash
  13. branch — a division
  14. suit — clothes
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. land — to come down
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. suit — to fit
  21. sharp — clever
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. current — of water
  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