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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: branch · fan · current · swing · mate · tear · lie · bear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. branch — a division
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. swing — music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. swing — in golf
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mate — to breed
  11. current — of water
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lie — to recline
  15. current — happening now
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bear — the animal
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mate — a partner
  24. current — electric

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