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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 120 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. current — electric
  6. cell — in biology
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. current — happening now
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. spring — of water
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cell — a phone
  18. branch — a division
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. fork — in a road
  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