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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 · toast · press · stem · current · deal · sharp · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. toast — bread
  3. stem — to come from
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. current — happening now
  10. tear — to rip
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. branch — a division
  13. press — newspapers
  14. sharp — clever
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. press — to push
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. tear — from crying
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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