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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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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 · net · shower · foot · sharp · current · rest · season

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. current — of water
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rest — what's left
  5. season — of the year
  6. sharp — clever
  7. net — for catching
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. branch — a division
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. net — after costs
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. shower — rain
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. season — in sport
  24. branch — of a tree

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