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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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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: fork · snap · firm · rush · current · fan · branch · pass

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. snap — to click
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. firm — a company
  6. current — of water
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. current — happening now
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. firm — decided
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. current — electric
  18. pass — a permit
  19. firm — steady
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. branch — a division
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fork — in a road
  24. branch — of a bank

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