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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: present · current · chest · hand · chair · rock · roll · rash

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rash — a series
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. current — happening now
  7. rash — hasty
  8. hand — help
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. present — there
  11. chair — a leader
  12. roll — a cake
  13. chest — a box
  14. rock — music
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rock — a stone
  19. current — of water
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. current — electric
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. chest — of your body

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