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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: current · sharp · fine · present · branch · rash · saw · hide

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. current — happening now
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rash — a series
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fine — all right
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. present — a gift
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. branch — a division
  14. present — the time now
  15. saw — the tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. present — there
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. branch — of a tree

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