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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. current — of water
  6. scale — size or range
  7. current — happening now
  8. bound — tied together
  9. sharp — clever
  10. file — a document
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bound — obliged
  13. current — electric
  14. scale — in music
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bound — certain
  21. branch — a division
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. file — a tool

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