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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. spell — a short time
  3. current — happening now
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. current — electric
  6. branch — a division
  7. spell — letters
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stem — to come from
  15. sharp — clever
  16. current — of water
  17. clip — a video
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spell — magic
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stem — a stem cell

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