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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 120 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: dip · current · bank · staff · wave · rash · branch · bulb

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. current — electric
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bank — of a river
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — happening now
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. staff — employees
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. branch — a division
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. current — of water
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bank — for money
  22. rash — a series
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bank — for money

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