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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 116 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: scale · spell · branch · bark · lie · bat · current · swing

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. branch — a division
  3. spell — magic
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. current — electric
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. spell — a short time
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. scale — size or range
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spell — letters
  17. scale — in music
  18. current — happening now
  19. bat — the animal
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. current — of water

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