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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · wound · bulb · clip · toast · hide · branch · straw

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bulb — for light
  4. toast — bread
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. clip — a video
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. current — happening now
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bulb — for light
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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