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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. current — of water
  3. stem — to come from
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. land — a country
  8. object — an aim
  9. fine — high quality
  10. object — a thing
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. current — electric
  16. object — to protest
  17. charge — electricity
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. charge — in control
  21. current — happening now
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. branch — a division
  24. charge — a price

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