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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.

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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: sharp · spring · branch · stand · mouse · current · dip · rock

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rock — music
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. spring — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. current — electric
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mouse — the animal

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