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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mug — a cup
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. staff — employees
  15. mug — to rob
  16. current — electric
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. chest — a box
  20. staff — employees
  21. mug — a face
  22. staff — a stick
  23. fork — in a road
  24. chest — of your body

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