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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 · cabinet · kid · rush · last · current · fine · branch

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. branch — a division
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. kid — to tease
  6. current — electric
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rush — hurry
  14. kid — child
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. suit — to fit
  20. current — happening now
  21. last — finally
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. suit — in cards

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