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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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: current · branch · kid · spring · mug · bear

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. spring — the season
  3. mug — a face
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. branch — a division
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. current — electric
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mug — to rob
  13. spring — of water
  14. bear — the animal
  15. current — happening now
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mug — a cup

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