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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: can · branch · bound · bat · wake · object · leaves · current

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bound — certain
  3. current — happening now
  4. object — to protest
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. branch — a division
  9. wake — a trail
  10. current — of water
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. object — a thing
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. object — an aim
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bound — tied together
  21. current — electric
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bound — obliged
  24. branch — of a bank

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