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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: stem · pitch · current · hide · date · fan · face · branch

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitch — completely
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. branch — a division
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. face — to point toward
  15. current — happening now
  16. stem — to come from
  17. current — electric
  18. face — to confront
  19. date — the fruit
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. fan — to cool the air

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