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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: spring · squash · stand · pit · current · dip · wound · branch

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wound — an injury
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wound — an injury
  6. spring — of water
  7. squash — the sport
  8. branch — a division
  9. spring — the season
  10. pit — in a race
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. current — electric
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. dip — a sauce

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