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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: dip · spring · deal · current · sharp · roll · branch · hide

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. deal — to handle
  3. dip — to sink
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. current — electric
  6. spring — of water
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. current — of water
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. sharp — clever
  13. current — happening now
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. branch — a division
  17. roll — a list
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. spring — a coil
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. roll — a cake
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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