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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. season — in sport
  8. bark — to shout
  9. lie — to recline
  10. current — electric
  11. season — of the year
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. current — happening now
  14. land — ground
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. land — a country
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. land — to come down
  20. pass — a permit
  21. branch — a division
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pound — to hit hard

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