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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: mark · branch · wave · rock · cold · current · content · rush

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rock — music
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. branch — a division
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — not warm
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rock — a stone
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. content — happy
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. current — electric

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