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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. spring — a coil
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. fall — to drop
  9. spring — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — steady
  14. bank — of a river
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. content — happy
  17. roll — a cake
  18. spring — the season
  19. firm — a company
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bank — for money
  22. fall — the season
  23. bank — for money
  24. current — of water

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