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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. current — of water
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. spring — a coil
  10. ground — crushed
  11. track — a song
  12. branch — a division
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. ground — a position
  15. current — electric
  16. mate — to breed
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. current — happening now
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spring — of water
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. spring — the season
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. branch — of a tree

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