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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 120 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: sharp · club · current · trunk · mug · kid · wave · branch

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. mug — a face
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mug — a cup
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. club — for dancing
  18. kid — child
  19. mug — to rob
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. current — electric
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. sharp — clever

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