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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: branch · rock · current · spring · object · rush · key · bark

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. rush — hurry
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rock — a stone
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. spring — of water
  10. key — in music
  11. branch — a division
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. current — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. object — a thing
  17. rock — music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. current — electric
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. current — happening now
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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