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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. chip — for betting
  5. branch — a division
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. key — the most important part
  10. clip — to cut
  11. race — humankind
  12. chip — to eat
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. clip — a video
  15. key — in music
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. race — the arms race
  18. current — happening now
  19. race — a contest
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. current — electric

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