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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: bear · race · season · chip · bulb · current · lie · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. current — of water
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. season — of the year
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. current — electric
  11. season — in sport
  12. race — the arms race
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. race — a contest
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. current — happening now
  18. bear — the animal
  19. race — humankind
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lie — to recline
  24. branch — a division

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