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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: chair · rock · leaves · foot · track · current · cell · rash

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. cell — in biology
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rock — music
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. track — a song
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. current — electric
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — a leader
  20. current — of water
  21. track — a path
  22. current — happening now
  23. track — to keep track
  24. foot — the bottom

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