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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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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: bear · straw · fan · branch · race · current · pass · land

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. current — of water
  5. land — a country
  6. branch — a division
  7. pass — a permit
  8. current — happening now
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. race — humankind
  15. bear — the animal
  16. land — ground
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. land — to come down
  21. current — electric
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. race — a contest

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