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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: deal · sharp · stick · current · can · leaves · bat · branch

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bat — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — a tin
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. sharp — clever
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. current — happening now
  18. deal — to handle
  19. current — electric
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. current — of water
  23. branch — a division
  24. can — to be able to

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