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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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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: fan · cell · hide · rash · roll · pass · current · branch

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. current — electric
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rash — a series
  6. roll — a list
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. branch — a division
  11. rash — hasty
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cell — in biology
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cell — a phone

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