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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 120 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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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: last · branch · bulb · stand · current · snap · pop · arm

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bulb — for light
  3. branch — a division
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. current — happening now
  7. stand — to bear
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — of water
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. current — electric
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pop — soda
  16. last — to go on
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pop — music
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pop — to visit
  24. snap — to click

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