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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: coach · current · roll · stock · nail · branch · hide · wave

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. roll — a cake
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. branch — a division
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. current — happening now
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. roll — a list
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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