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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: last · present · current · swing · bear · branch · toast · hand

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. toast — bread
  3. last — finally
  4. swing — to play on
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. last — final
  14. hand — in cards
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. last — to go on
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bear — the animal
  23. current — electric
  24. bear — to put up with

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