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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · present · saw · current · wake · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. present — a gift
  3. current — of water
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pop — music
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. current — electric
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. current — happening now
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pop — to visit
  15. present — the time now
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pop — soda
  18. present — there

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