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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: hand · branch · current · bear · rush · club · wake · present

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. current — happening now
  4. present — there
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hand — in cards
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. present — the time now
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hand — help
  17. club — a group
  18. rush — hurry
  19. present — a gift
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — for dancing
  23. current — of water
  24. bear — 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