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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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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: branch · hand · current · rash · tube · rest · wound · sharp

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wound — an injury
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wound — an injury
  9. current — happening now
  10. tube — the underground
  11. hand — help
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. current — electric
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. tube — a container
  16. rest — a break
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. sharp — clever
  19. hand — in cards
  20. branch — a division
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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