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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. spring — the season
  4. current — happening now
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. current — electric
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spring — of water
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spring — a coil
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stand — to bear
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. dip — to sink
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. dip — a sauce

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