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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 · roll · spring · hide · current · stock · bore · cell

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bore — to drill
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. spring — the season
  6. cell — a phone
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. roll — a cake
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. spring — a coil
  12. cell — in biology
  13. suit — clothes
  14. stock — goods
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. spring — 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