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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: squash · bound · branch · saw · mine · current · net · firm

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. current — of water
  3. branch — a division
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. firm — steady
  7. bound — obliged
  8. current — electric
  9. firm — decided
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. bound — tied together
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bound — certain
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. net — for catching
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. firm — a company
  21. current — happening now
  22. squash — to crush
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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