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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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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: deal · lie · branch · current · bound · fan · degree · wake

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. current — of water
  3. bound — tied together
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. current — electric
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. current — happening now
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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