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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 116 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: coach · dip · pass · sharp · rash · branch · can · current

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. branch — a division
  6. rash — a series
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. current — happening now
  10. pass — a permit
  11. sharp — clever
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. current — of water
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. can — a tin
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. current — electric

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