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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: press · branch · mug · patient · wave · current · trunk · fan

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. branch — a division
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. press — to push
  5. mug — a face
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mug — a cup
  13. current — happening now
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mug — to rob
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. current — electric
  20. press — a publisher
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fan — a supporter

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