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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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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: field · current · wave · lash · rest · jam · pound · branch

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. field — for sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. current — happening now
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rest — a break
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rest — what's left
  16. current — electric
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. branch — a division
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. current — of water
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. branch — of a tree

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