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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: current · rock · bank · kid · root · cell · perch · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. kid — to tease
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cell — in biology
  5. current — electric
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. rash — a series
  11. current — of water
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rock — music
  17. perch — the fish
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. kid — child
  22. rash — hasty
  23. current — happening now
  24. root — the cause

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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