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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: snap · current · rash · land · lean · branch · leaves · stick

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. snap — to click
  5. land — to come down
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. lean — thin
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. current — happening now
  18. land — ground
  19. branch — a division
  20. rash — hasty
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. land — a country

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