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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 · cell · face · bound · wave · branch · bear · root

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. current — of water
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. face — to confront
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. face — part of the head
  9. root — of a word
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bound — certain
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cell — a phone
  15. root — the cause
  16. current — happening now
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bound — obliged
  20. current — electric
  21. branch — a division
  22. face — to point toward
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wave — of the sea

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