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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 · stand · clip · wake · mate · wave · mark · branch

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. clip — for paper
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. current — happening now
  10. mate — a friend
  11. clip — a video
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mark — a trace
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stand — to bear
  22. clip — to cut
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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