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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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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: drill · current · sharp · content · branch · prune · face · pound

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. content — the amount
  3. current — of water
  4. drill — army training
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. current — electric
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. current — happening now
  9. branch — a division
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. prune — to trim
  12. drill — a practice
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pound — a weight
  15. face — to confront
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. content — happy
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. sharp — clever
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. face — part of the head

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