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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: content · current · coach · lash · staff · chest · branch · scale

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. staff — a stick
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. staff — employees
  7. content — the amount
  8. chest — of your body
  9. current — happening now
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. content — happy
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. current — electric
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. scale — size or range
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. staff — employees
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. current — 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