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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: branch · net · toast · shower · row · current · leaves · season

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. current — electric
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. net — for catching
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. shower — rain
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. season — of the year
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. current — happening now
  13. net — in sport
  14. row — a line
  15. season — in sport
  16. branch — a division
  17. current — of water
  18. net — after costs
  19. shower — to wash
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. row — to paddle
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. season — to add flavour
  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