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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. court — for sport
  4. band — a ring
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. court — of a king
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lean — thin
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. court — of law
  20. current — happening now
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. current — electric
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lean — to bend

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