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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. face — part of the head
  3. roll — a cake
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. cue — for pool
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. roll — a list
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. face — to confront
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. face — to point toward
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. current — happening now
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. cue — a signal
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cue — a hint
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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