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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · stand · fork · branch · current · dip · mouse · press

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stand — to bear
  13. press — newspapers
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. current — happening now
  16. press — to push
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. branch — a division
  19. current — electric
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. hide — animal skin

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