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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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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: fine · lie · branch · cabinet · current · sharp · present · spring

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. present — there
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. present — a gift
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fine — all right
  9. branch — a division
  10. fine — high quality
  11. spring — a coil
  12. current — of water
  13. spring — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. present — the time now
  18. sharp — clever
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. spring — the season
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. current — electric

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