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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.

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: chip · plane · present · saw · branch · object · tear · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. tear — to rip
  6. chip — for betting
  7. branch — a division
  8. chip — to eat
  9. object — a thing
  10. tear — from crying
  11. saw — the tool
  12. current — happening now
  13. object — to protest
  14. plane — a tool
  15. present — there
  16. object — an aim
  17. tear — from crying
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. saw — the tool
  20. present — the time now
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. current — electric
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. present — a gift

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