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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 · suit · content · branch · bass · hide · date · face

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. branch — a division
  3. suit — in cards
  4. face — to point toward
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. current — electric
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. suit — to fit
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bass — low music
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. date — the fruit
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. current — happening now
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. content — the amount
  21. bass — the fish
  22. suit — clothes
  23. current — of water
  24. face — to confront

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