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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · fine · bark · rest · pass · chest · current · plane

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. current — electric
  4. fine — all right
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rest — a break
  14. chest — of your body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chest — a box
  21. pass — a permit
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. current — happening now
  24. plane — in geometry

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