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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: suit · branch · chest · roll · current · rock · foot · hide

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. current — of water
  3. rock — a stone
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. current — happening now
  6. roll — a cake
  7. current — electric
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. suit — in cards
  11. chest — a box
  12. roll — a list
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chest — of your body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rock — music

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