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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 · mine · snap · firm · swing · trunk · cell · current

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. swing — music
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cell — in biology
  5. firm — a company
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. current — happening now
  9. branch — a division
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. current — of water
  16. snap — to click
  17. firm — decided
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mine — for digging
  20. firm — steady
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. current — electric
  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