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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · clip · spring · trunk · branch · stick · cap · bank

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — to cut
  3. current — electric
  4. cap — a lid
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. branch — a division
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. current — happening now
  12. spring — of water
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bank — of a river
  17. current — of water
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. clip — a video

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