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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: swing · snap · current · wake · branch · race · bay · net

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. current — happening now
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — a contest
  4. snap — to click
  5. wake — a trail
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. net — for catching
  8. branch — a division
  9. swing — music
  10. net — after costs
  11. current — electric
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. current — of water
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. net — in sport
  17. race — humankind
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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