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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.

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 · lie · stick · swing · mug · present · court · current

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. current — of water
  7. swing — in golf
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. lie — to recline
  10. swing — music
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. present — the time now
  14. branch — a division
  15. current — happening now
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. current — electric
  18. swing — to play on
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. present — a gift
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. court — of a king
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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