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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 120 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: chair · row · rock · rush · net · current · bank · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bank — for money
  4. chair — a leader
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. net — for catching
  7. rock — a stone
  8. net — in sport
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. row — to paddle
  12. current — happening now
  13. rock — music
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. net — after costs
  17. bank — for money
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bank — of a river
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

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