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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 116 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: ground · current · band · branch · lie · chip · squash · wind

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. current — of water
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. ground — a position
  8. current — happening now
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. squash — to crush
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. squash — the sport
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. branch — a division
  16. ground — the earth
  17. band — a music group
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wind — moving air
  20. band — a ring
  21. chip — for betting
  22. ground — crushed
  23. current — electric
  24. lie — to recline

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