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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mug — a cup
  6. shower — to wash
  7. current — of water
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. current — electric
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mug — a face
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. shower — rain
  16. mug — to rob
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. hand — help
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. squash — the sport
  22. last — to go on
  23. branch — a division
  24. current — happening now

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