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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. season — of the year
  6. fork — in a road
  7. roll — a list
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. lean — thin
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. cell — in biology
  14. branch — a division
  15. season — in sport
  16. roll — a cake
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. lean — to bend
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. current — electric
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. cell — a phone

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